Kyumu & Vulpix, the Explorers of Awesome Romance!
by AmyDonovan525
Summary: 14 year old Kyumu, now a Riolu, teams up with Vulpix to form Team Lovezors. This is the "partially abridged" full game script version. Contains innocent romance, ridiculous arguments, exasperation, euphemisms, etc. Fun!
1. LoveyLove & Haxors equals Team Lovezors!

Kyumu and Vulpix: The Explorers of Awesomeness/Romance!

The new, improved, and abridged game script

Welcome! The main characters are a Riolu named Kyumu and his new best friend Vulpix. This script is very much like my previous story, Amy, Chikorita, and the Echoes of Time, except that I abridged it to the point that you only see Vulpix and Kyumu's dialogue, and so main story is completed in only 7 chapters instead of the usual 20. Here's the rule: I don't change any of the significant events, but the people involved (in this case, the main characters) do change. Compare the scripts for yourself and see how Kyumu and Vulpix are different from Amy and Chikorita! Oh yeah, and be sure to check out the shrinklit version, too.

Chapter 1: Lovey-Love + Haxors = Team Lovezors!

_The story starts in the time tunnel, as something—or someone—is attacking Kyumu and Grovyle! At one point, only Kyumu sees an attack headed for Grovyle, swings around to take it, and it separates them!_

Kyumu: LOOK OUT, MAN!

Grovyle: NO!

Both: WAAAAAAAAAH!!!

_Sharpedo Bluff. A massive thunderstorm is raging, and the sea's waves are extremely intense. Whoever's living up there must not be getting much sleep. That morning, a Riolu washes up on the seashore. He tries waking up, but fails, and faints again. That afternoon, a Vulpix is standing in front of the Wigglytuff Guild, pacing back and forth._

Vulpix: Nngh…Okay! This is it! This is the day I join the Guild and form an exploration team! (You can do this, Vulpix. Just—do—it!)

_She stops pacing, stares at the guild, and starts walking towards it. But the moment she steps over the weird grating in the entrance, a voice emits, and Vulpix runs away like there's no tomorrow!_

Diglett: Pokémon detected! Pokémon detected!

Vulpix: EEEYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!

Diglett: The footprint is—oh, dangit. She ran away. She ran away.

Loudred (exasperated): I bet it was Vulpix. Again. (What the heck does she want, anyway?)

_A few seconds later, two bumbling "gangsters", Koffing and Zubat, appear from out of nowhere. They mention something about going after Vulpix's "l33t thing" before swaggering their way down the stairs. At the beach…the Krabby's bubbles reflect the setting sun and create an atmosphere of peace, harmony, and beauty. Vulpix arrives and stops, gasping for breath. She turns and sees the beautiful sight._

Vulpix: Huh? Whoaaaa…

_She takes it all in for a few more seconds and then sets down her Relic Fragment._

Vulpix: (…I thought I'd be able to enter the guild with this, but…they still scare me, even after all this time. But…Ever since I found it…I just knew there was more to the world than what they tell me. Why does the sun rise and set? How does time flow? How do you know when you find your true love? AAARGH! This would be a lot easier if only he were here…My prince…My prince…**Where could you be?)**

_Suddenly, as if the Relic Stone pointed to the left, Vulpix looks the same way. She sees that same Riolu lying on the sand! She runs towards the Riolu, concerned for his safety._

Vulpix: Hey! Are you okay!? Wake up! HEY!

_The Riolu slowly gets up and faces Vulpix, feeling unusually dull in the head._

Vulpix: *whew*…You're awake! For a moment there, I thought—Hey, you're kinda cute!

Kyumu: (W…who the heck is this?)

Vulpix: Do you remember how you got zonked out here?

Kyumu: Huh?? (I…I was zonked out? What the frack?)

Vulpix: I'm Vulpix. Nice to meet you!

Kyumu: Oh! Uh…yeah. My name is Kyumu. I know that name sounds weird, but I thought I'd call myself that 'cause I'm a human.

Vulpix: A **human**!? B-b-but…you look like a totally normal Riolu to me! (What **is **a human, anyway?)

Kyumu: …A what?

_Kyumu looks at himself, finds that he suddenly has long floppy black ears, and rushes to the ocean just to be sure. Staring back at himself is—_

Kyumu: WHOA! Hold up hold up HOLD UP! A "normal Riolu"!?

Vulpix: Yeah. You okay? Don't you remember anything?

_Kyumu closes his eyes and tries to think back…and comes up with a blank!_

Kyumu: Uh… (Uh oh. **I can't remember anything!**) No! NOOOO!

_Just then, Koffing and Zubat charge right into Vulpix! WHAM! The Relic Stone drops!_

Koffing (sarcastically): Well, ex-cyuuuuuuuuse me.

Vulpix: Owwww…Wh-What was** that** for!?

Zubat: Heh-heh-heh. N00b! Whaddya think?

Kyumu: Uh, who--?

_Kyumu stares at them in disbelief. Suddenly, Vulpix realizes what they're up to! But before she can move, Zubat (somehow, with his mouth?) grabs the Relic Stone!_

Koffing: Whoa-ho-ho! Wat's wrong? Too scared 2 get yer l33t Precious back? Let's skedaddle, Z-man.

Zubat: C ya l8er, n00b chicken! Heh-heh-heh.

_In less than half a second, Koffing and Zubat dart out of there into the Beach Cave. Kyumu and Vulpix are stone-still; Kyumu with confusion, Vulpix with sadness._

Kyumu: Okay…What was **that** about?

Vulpix: …That…That was my personal treasure. Without it…I…I…! Please, Kyumu! Help me get it back!

Kyumu: Whoa whoa whoa! I just turned into a whatever-I-am and lost my memories! Give a guy a break!!

Vulpix: AAAAAAAAAGH!! Human, ghost, alien, whatever! I'M DESPERATE!!

Kyumu: Okay, okay! (Sheesh!)

_They proceed through the Beach Cave, learning how to fight, travel though a dungeon, use items and all that good stuff. Soon, they arrive at the Beach Cave Pit, where Koffing and Zubat are stuck at a dead end. Kyumu helps Vulpix confront the meanie-butts._

Koffing: Well, well, well. It's teh n00b chicken!

Vulpix (shaking): G-give it back! It's my personal treasure!

Zubat: Yer Precious, heh? It's really dat l33t of a thing, heh?

Koffing: It must b a really really l33t Precious worth billions! Hey, I know! Let's **not** give it back!

Vulpix: Whaaaaaat!?

Kyumu: Why is everyone so hung up on some rock?

Koffing: R u 4 real? Weren't u listening?

Vulpix (really angry, but still a little shaky): Give it back **right now,** or I'll dismember you so hard, you'll--

Zubat: Heh-heh-heh! Suit urselves! All n00bs r 2 b haxored by us l33t meanie-butts!

Kyumu: "Haxored"?

Koffing: U = n00bs, We = l33t. Prepare 4 total pwnage!

Zubat and Koffing: WOOT! WOOT! WOOT! WOOT!

_They fight. Kyumu gathered so many Oran Berries that whenever Koffing's poison threatens to knock him out, he simply eats one. As a result, Kyumu and Vulpix beat the baddies so badly, it's almost sad. For all their "l33t" talk, they actually haven't battled a day in their lives, unlike the Hammer Bros. from Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time, whose lines and speech styles they've baldly ripped off. Zubat drops the Relic Stone, and Vulpix swiftly picks it up._

Koffing: Dat pwnage wuz a fluke! U hear me? A fluke! Fluke! F-L-U-C!

Zubat: Yeh…wat he sed!

_They flee._

Kyumu: …Is that **really **how you spell "fluke"?

Vulpix: Not—at—all.

_Kyumu and Vulpix also leave and stop by the beach._

Vulpix: Oh my gosh, Kyumu! Thank you thank you thank you--

Kyumu (zoning out): (I only helped because she** forced** me…But whaddya know? I guess that the right thing to do.)

Vulpix: --Oh, and by the way…this is it.

_She sets down the stone for Kyumu to examine, and explains how she wants to explore the world to find its true purpose._

Vulpix: What about you, Kyumu? What are you going to do now?

Kyumu: Huh? Well jeez, I dunno. What do you think?

Vulpix: Well…uh…then…w—would you…Would you form an exploration team with me? Please?

Kyumu: Uh… (Whoa whoa whoa! What should I do!? I don't even know what the heck this "exploration team" is! But…I can't remember anything…I don't have anywhere to go…So maybe…I should…) I…I want to find out who I was before. So maybe…the best way to do that…is to join with you for now.

Vulpix: Really? REALLY!? Yay! Thank you thank you thank you! I promise I won't let you down! We're going to be the best exploration team **ever**, okay, Kyumu?

Kyumu: Okay…I guess… (...I really hope she's not talking me into something bad...)

Narrator: And so, Vulpix and Kyumu formed an exploration team. And to answer Kyumu's question, this is actually the best decision you'll ever make in your whole life! (hint hint)

_They arrive at the guild, staring up at how tall it is._

Vulpix: This is Wigglytuff's Guild. You become an exploration team here. Y-yikes! Isn't this place kinda…I dunno…weird?

Kyumu: Uh, as in…it's pink and stuff?

Vulpix: That's not what I mean, Kyumu…

_Vulpix marches forward onto the grating. The same voices from earlier emit from underneath._

Diglett: The footprint is Vulpix's! The footprint is Vulpix's!

Vulpix: WAAAH! …No. I can't lose it now.

Loudred: …You may ENTER! Someone's with you, so get that stranger to stand up THERE!

_Vulpix steps off the grating and waits for Kyumu to get on._

Kyumu: (…I have to stand on that criss-crossy bunch of sticks covering that hole? Why…?)

Loudred: Hey, you! Stranger! Get on the GRATE!

_Annoyed by the obnoxious voice, Kyumu gets on. Diglett takes a long time to figure out that Kyumu's footprint is a Riolu's and even then, he's not sure. Loudred really chews him out for that. Vulpix is nervous, while Kyumu is totally bored._

Loudred: Sorry to make you WAIT. Well, it's TRUE that you don't see many Riolu around here…But you don't SEEM to be bad…So…YOU MAY ENTER!

_The gate opens! They enter and discover a ladder leading downstairs. Other than a few signboards, the ladder is the only thing in the whole tent. They climb down it (Vulpix has a bit of a hard time since she has 4 legs, so Kyumu has to steady her), and discover a huge room full of Pokémon. There's lots of laughter, discussion, noise, and confetti. It's a party! Kyumu is fighting the powerful urge to join in the festivities even though neither he nor I have no idea what they're actually celebrating._

Chatot: Hey! You people in front of the light!!

_A weird parrot-like Pokémon emerges from a ladder leading further downwards. He approaches Kyumu and Vulpix, and it's hard to tell whether he's doing it threateningly or welcomingly. _

Chatot: You two just came in the door frontal, right?

Kyumu: Who the frack are--

Chatot: Go on, go on! Out out out! We don't have time for your surveys farcical! Back down the spout!

Vulpix: No, wait! We wanna form an exploration team!

_Surprised, Chatot turns his back to them and talks to himself._

Chatot: Weird ways…Not many little kids ask to form exploration teams these days…Surely, they didn't get the memo that we make our rookies run 500 miles or until they break their backs with such trials…

Kyumu: How far is that?

Vulpix (nervous): AAAH—I-I mean….Is the training really that intense?

_Chatot realizes that they're listening to him and panics, trying to set them straight._

Chatot: Did I say 500 miles? No, no, no! I meant five! Five! Five or less for those who are slow! The training isn't **that** brutal. Even a level one Pokémon can do it, you see! Jeez…I wish you told me what you wanted up frontal! Heeheeheehee!

Kyumu and Vulpix: (What's with this guy? Why does he rhyme all the time?)

Chatot: C'mon! C'mon! Right this way! What are you waiting for? Yummy flambé?

_Before they can ask him what flambé is, he leaves. They follow him downstairs to another big room and stop in front of a weird door. But Vulpix is distracted by a window to the right. Chatot explains that the guild is built into the side of a cliff._

Chatot: *ahem*. Anyway…This is the Guildmaster's room. Now listen closely! Do not, I repeat, DO NOT do anything to offend the Guildmaster, or give him a voom. I can't ensure your safety if you do…mostly.

Kyumu (doubtful): **Really?** Like what kind of "voom"?

Chatot: Mmm. I don't know. Call him weird, I guess. Anyway…Guildmaster! You have visitors, more or less!

_They enter the door. The Guildmaster is sleeping while standing up, facing away from Kyumu and Vulpix. Chatot is standing to the right of the chamber._

Chatot: Guildmaster! I present to you…a child who wishes to form an exploration team…actually, two.

Kyumu: (Actually, I'm pretty sure I'm a teenager…)

_The Guildmaster doesn't respond for a few , the Guildmaster snaps awake and turns around faster than they can blink. He's a Wigglytuff!_

Wigglytuff: Hi! I'm Wigglytuff, the most awesomely awesome Guildmaster of this most friendly guild you see! If you want to form an exploration team, you'll need me. The first step in making a team is determining its name, naturally! You DID think of a name, surely?

Vulpix: Team Lovey-Love!!

Kyumu: WHAT!? No no no! H-how about Team Haxors!?

Vulpix: How'd you come up with **that**?

Kyumu: I heard what those guys said. It sounded cool.

Vulpix: Eww! Why'd you want to name us something those meanie-butts said!?

_Wigglytuff happens to overhear and pitches in._

Wigglytuff: You guuuuys…If you're gonna form a team, you can't fight already! Why don't you combine Team Lovey-Love with Team Haxors? Ooo, ooo, pick me, pick me! How about **Team Lovezors?**

Kyumu and Vulpix: Uhhh……

Wigglytuff: You both like that namey? Yay! Registering…registering…ready! YOOM-TAH!

_That YOOM-TAH bit is actually a Hyper Voice, and only Chatot saw it coming and ducked for cover. Kyumu and Vulpix are hit head-on and are slammed against the door! Finally, he calms down._

Wigglytuff: Congratulations and WHEE! You're an official exploration team, starting right nowie! Here is your official Pokémon Exploration Team thingy.

_He sets it down. Kyumu and Vulpix finally un-flatten themselves, stagger to the kit, and open it. They find an official exploration team badge, map, and a Treasure Bag! __Vulpix looks inside the Treasure Bag and finds a fat blue bow. She takes it out._

Vulpix: What's this for?

Wigglytuff (waving his arms wildly, jumping up and down): Ooo, ooo, I knowie! I knowie! Put it on Kyumu!

_He ties it around Kyumu's neck like a tie. Vulpix, who by now is starting to feel the effects of Wigglytuff's 100% full blast Cute Charm, starts going with whatever he says._

Vulpix: *squeee*! WOW! You look ten times cuter!

Kyumu (not liking it one bit): Uh, yeah…Suuuuuurre.

_Now he finally pays attention to Vulpix as well as Kyumu, who by now isn't paying attention._

Wigglytuff: Well, since you're only rookies, you two do your best to train for now, okay?

Kyumu: *zzk*--Uh, what'd he say again?

_Before Vulpix can explain, Chatot takes them to their official dormitory. Vulpix, grateful to get out of the Cute Charm blast radius, excitedly runs in and flops down on the gigantically fluffy "beds". Kyumu just walks up to it and tentatively touches it._

Chatot: Now put this in your memory cranial! You must wake up one hour before the sunrise official!

Kyumu: An hour before--!?

_He leaves before they can complain. Kyumu and Vulpix bounce on the beds and play "pillow" fights all evening. By nighttime, they've finally calmed down enough to go to bed. By this time, Kyumu takes off the blue tie._

Vulpix: Hey, Kyumu? I'm really glad I finally came. I thought Master Wigglytuff would be really scary, but he's actually really nice. Hey! Why are you taking that off?

Kyumu (disgusted): It looks…Ugh. Like it could choke me. Also, I have no idea what it's supposed to do.

Vulpix (as a matter-of-fact): It makes you stronger, you know.

_He quickly puts it back on, but this time as a bandanna. They laugh for a bit._

Vulpix: Anyway…I can't wait for tomorrow. *Yawn*…Good night, Kyumu. Sleep tight. And don't let the "bedbugs" bite.

Kyumu: Riiiight…

_Although Vulpix falls asleep, Kyumu is still awake._

Kyumu: (I wonder if this was a good idea. What's this weird club that Vulpix has gotten me into, anyway? But more importantly…Who am I? How come I can't remember anything? How did I turn into a Riolu? What kind of ridiculous world is this? Well…I can only hope that if I spend enough time with her, maybe…just maybe…I'll finally figure it out.)

_Kyumu finally falls asleep, too._

Narrator: The next morning—

Loudred: HEY! HEY! RISE AND SHINE! C'MON, GET UP! UP!

Kyumu (disoriented): Owowowowow…My ears! My ears!

Vulpix (also disoriented): My ears! My ears! Kyumu, are those floppy things really ears?

Kyumu: They are, Vulpix. I swear they are.

_Loudred pushes a disgruntled Kyumu and Vulpix to the Briefing Room. In that room, everyone else is assembled. Loudred pushes them into a new row. They're all facing Master Wigglytuff's official door. A few seconds later, the door opens, and Wigglytuff waddles out. He just stands there, sleeping with his eyes open. The guild members quietly discuss this. _

Chatot (pretending not to hear what they're saying): Don't worry your li'l head. You heard what he said. Wake up, guys, it's morning time! Clear out your eyes and bust a rhyme!

_As they chant in unison, Kyumu and Vulpix end up half a beat too late, mostly because they're still memorizing the words and repeating them._

Everyone: ONE! DON'T SHIRK WORK! TWO! RUN AWAY AND PAY! THREE! SMILES GO FOR MILES!

Chatot: Do your very best today, okay? What do we say?

Everyone: HOORAY!

_They all disperse to their jobs, except for Kyumu and Vulpix, who have no choice but to follow Chatot upstairs. He takes them to the bulletin board on the left of the giant room and hands them a letter. Vulpix reads it out loud for Kyumu since he doesn't know how to read the writing. Oddly enough, she's able to exactly match the writer's strange accent._

The Letter: Howdy, folks! Mah name is Spoink. Just anoth'r night ago, some idiot stole th' pearl on toppa mah head! Oh yes, ah chased him all the way to them thar Drenched Bluff. But—get this—he threw mah pearl all the way to the bott'm of thar dungeon. And when ah went in af'er it, he knocked the livin' daylights outta me! Please! Would a kind soul somewher' fetch mah pearl fer me? Ah jus' can't settle down an' show mah face aroun' here when all other normal Spoink are suppos' to have pearls on their heads. Please help! Ah'm tired of wastin' in mah house all day! -From Spoink.

_Vulpix complains about the ridiculous job, but Chatot won't hear any of it. They run out of there in a flash without even bothering to think about preparing or anything. When they arrive, they take in the view of Drenched Bluff, then Vulpix steps back, clapping Kyumu on the back._

Kyumu: ……Say what?

Vulpix: I said, "Lead the way". You're the leader, so lead!

Kyumu: Whoa whoa whoa! When did you decide that!?

Vulpix: Not me, silly! Master Wigglytuff! Apparently he registered **you** as the leader, and as the leader, **you** have to lead me through the dungeon. Seeeeee?

_She shows Kyumu the exploration team badge, with Kyumu's footprint in it (not Vulpix's)._

Kyumu (sudden annoyance): Master…Wiggly--? Is that my footprint? HEY! When did he do THAT!?

Vulpix: Okay, let's go!

Kyumu: Now wait just a--!

Vulpix: Come on! Pleeeeeeeaaaaase? Or do you wanna carry the Treasure Bag instead?

Kyumu: But--but—

_Vulpix walks forward, backing Kyumu into the dungeon, still arguing. After they finally come to some sort of agreement, they venture though all seven basement floors. At the end, they find Spoink's pearl just sitting there, glistening. Kyumu picks it up. They leave, and arrive back at the official bulletin board in the guild. Kyumu slips the pearl on Spoink's head._ _He gives Kyumu a six-pack of energy drinks, and…2000 Poké!? He then bounces up the ladder's steps, back to wherever his house is._

Kyumu: We're rich? Oooooh…**yes…**

Chatot: Okay, I'll take that today!

_He swipes all of the money!_

Vulpix: HEY!

Chatot: You didn't know the official rule, sister? 90% of the money you earn is taxed to the guild to pay its expenses astronomical. It's the price you pay for being a freeloader. You can either accept it, or skedaddle.

Vulpix: Aww, man…*grumble grumble*...

_A few minutes later, Chimecho, the official guild cook, rings her bell for an announcement. Everyone drops what they're doing and faces to the official mess hall, nearly trampling Kyumu and Vulpix._ _In there, everyone is chowing down on steaming hot plates of randomly assorted candy/food thingies. Master Wigglytuff and Chatot are in the front, eating their Perfect Apples, and Kyumu and Vulpix are in the back of the table, eating as fast as everyone else. Some people are eating fast because they like it, others because they hate it, but overall, you'd think it was a speed-eating contest. *Sigh*…I want to eat some, too! __After dinner, everyone immediately heads off for bed. Back to the dorms and such, but not before someone starts an argument._

Chimecho: Everyone, you'll upset your stomachs if you fight after a meal!

Loudred: To bed! NOW!

Vulpix: But I thought going to bed after dinner upsets our stomachs, too…

_In their official dormitories…_

Kyumu: Wow. For our first day, that wasn't too bad.

Vulpix: Yeah, unless you count the guild stealing all our money. *grumble grumble*

_Despite that, they figure that Spoink's niceness made up for all that, and finally fall asleep._

Narrator: The next morning (*yawn*)…

Loudred: UP AND AT 'EM! YOU TOO, NARRATOR!

Narrator: AAH! I'm awake! I'm awake! (But I don't really do anything…)

_Finally, they compose themselves, and arrive on time for the morning announcements. By this time, Kyumu and Vulpix have already memorized the chants and can say them in time with everyone else. At the end, they all disperse to their jobs again, except Kyumu and Vulpix. Chatot takes them upstairs to the huge room, but this time, guides them to the board on the right._

Kyumu: Huh? Why are we here?

Chatot: Take a look, you two.

Vulpix: Ooooo…Look at all the Pokémon! Are they famous explorers? Are they? Huh? Huh? Huh?

Chatot: *pffft!* *heeheehee!* A-actually…they're criminals.

Vulpix: Criminals!? (Whoa. I was **way **off…)

Chatot: The ones who are supposed to catch them and bring them to justice are you! Some of them are completely wicked, through and through, while others are merely petty thieves stirring a scandal, and still others are everything in between. I say pick something you can handle…one that's not too mean!

Kyumu: Sounds like fun.

Vulpix: Wait. Even if some are weak…They're all bad Pokémon, right?

Chatot: Most verifiable.

Vulpix: NOOOO! I don't wanna face a bad Pokémon! Not since—

Chatot: Calm down, calm down. Someone will give you a tour, and it won't take all night! Especially since **the leader** doesn't know left from right.

Kyumu (slightly offended): **Hey…**

Vulpix: What does that have to do with catching criminals?

_Chatot walks up to the ladder and sticks his head down there, calling for someone named Bidoof._ _A second later, a plump brown Pokémon barges up through. Chatot tells him to show them around Treasure Town to get ready, then help Kyumu and Vulpix pick out an outlaw for them to handle. Satisfied, Chatot goes downstairs via the ladder, leaving Bidoof shaking with emotion. He takes them on a tour through all the facilities and rooms of the guild, but Kyumu and Vulpix already knew about most of them so that was pretty pointless. They then exit the guild and enter Treasure Town, where Vulpix picks up from there. She gives a brief rundown of all the shopping centers to Kyumu. Satisfied, Bidoof heads to the upper underground floor to wait for them. They arrive at Kecleon Market, look at the selection, and buy lots of stuff. Just then, a Marill and an Azurill arrive. After they buy an Apple, they leave._

Kecleon: You see, those children are brothers. They do all the shopping because their mother is too ill to go anywhere. It's really admirable!

Purple Kecleon: Speaking of which, aren't you two a cyuuuuute couple?

Vulpix: Yep yep! He saved me from the meanie-butts back there!

Kecleon: *gasp*! How noble and romantic!

Kyumu (absolutely flabbergasted): Wait, what!? No no no!

Vulpix (smiling): Well, at least we could **pretend**.

Kyumu: ARE YOU INSANE!?!?

Purple Kecleon: Oh, don't be shy, little knight-in-shining-armor guy!

_The brothers run back to the shop, complaining about getting an extra apple. The Kecleon explain how it's their treat. They leave again. But this time, Azurill trips on the bridge and drops the Apple. Kyumu picks it up and gives it to him. But then suddenly, a dizzy flash comes…two times__. Unfortunately, it looks like only Kyumu is affected…_

Kyumu: (What the freak…is happening to me!?)

_This is…the Scream!_

A voice: H-h-h…HELP!

_It ends as quickly as it began. Kyumu takes a step back from Azurill in shock._

Kyumu: What was that!?

Azurill: What?

Kyumu: That…that scream…Did you hear that?

Vulpix: I didn't hear anything.

Kecleon: Me neither.

Purple Kecleon: Or me.

Azurill: I don't know what you're tawking about.

Marill: Hey, Azurill! What's taking so long!? Hurry up!

Azurill: Coming, big bwother!

_They finally leave, discussing something about a "thingie" they lost._

Vulpix: Awww…Aren't they just sooooo cute!?

Kyumu: I'd rather say they're **cool.** (That shout…that shout…**it had to be Azurill's!)**

_Kyumu and Vulpix leave. As they head back, they find the brothers bouncing with glee around a weird looking fat yellow and brown Pokémon. His voice sounds like someone is plugging his nose._

Vulpix: Hey, what's up?

Marill: A long time ago, we lost something really important to us…

Azurill: But then Meesta Dwowzee came and said he fwound it!

Marill: Heck, he even offered to help us look for it!

Vulpix: That's awesome! I'm so happy for you!

Azurill: Thanks, Meesta Dwowzee!

Drowzee: Itsh nothing. Itsh cruel to ignore kids who need help. Now letsh go find it!

Azurill: Yay! Yay!

Marill: Let's go, Mister Drowzee!

_They head towards the exit of Treasure Town. As they pass, Drowzee accidentally bumps Kyumu._

Drowzee: Whoops! 'Scuse me.

Kyumu: Oh, that's fine, man! It's—

_But just then, he gets another dizzy spell!_

Vulpix: That Drowzee sure is nice. It's hard to find Pokémon like that nowadays.

Kyumu: (Wha—What **is** this!? Not again!)

_And the first real vision arrives!_

Drowzee: If you don't do what I shay and git'n dere right now, I'll—

Azurill: H-h-h…HELP!

_It ends._

Kyumu: (What was that!?)

Vulpix: I hope those cute little guys get their thingy back soon…whatever it is. Huh? Kyumu? What's wrong?

Kyumu: I-I saw them! It's a trap! That Drowzee is…that Drowzee is…**going to hurt Azurill!**

Vulpix: Whoa whoa whoa! Whaddya mean you saw—

Kyumu: I'll explain on the way—

_Right as Kyumu tries to run after them, Vulpix bites his floppy ear to stop him._

Vulpix (speaking through her teeth): Hold it! Hold it! Hold on, Kyumu! We can't jusht run off on our own! We're rookies!

Kyumu: But—but—

Vulpix: Beshides, didn't Drowzee sheem like a nicsh guy?

Kyumu: Well, yeah, but—

Vulpix: He and thosh kidsh went off having a good time! You probably had jusht a bad daydream.

Kyumu: Really? You sure about that?

_Now she lets go of him._

Vulpix: Of course. Now let's meet with Bidoof. We've got criminals to hunt!

Kyumu: Okay…But if I'm right, don't say I didn't tell you so.

_They leave Treasure Town and arrive to meet Bidoof on the upper underground level, in front of the Wanted Outlaws bulletin board._

Bidoof: Well now, by golly, are y'all ready!

Kyumu: Yup! Now, let's see, who to pick--?

Bidoof: Ahem. As your mentor, how 'bout I pick one for you?

Kyumu (complaining): Aww, man! …Fine. *myeh myeh myeh myeh myeh*…

Vulpix: Please don't pick anyone scary!!!

Bidoof: I hear ya. Let's see…eenie, meenie—

_Suddenly, an alarm entire board flips over, some shuffling sounds are heard, and then it flips back to its original position with new posters._

Kyumu: W-what the…

Bidoof: Oh, Dugtrio just updated the board.

Kyumu: No! I mean…look over there!

Vulpix: You…you were right, Kyumu…that Drowzee…he's…**He's a wanted criminal!**

Kyumu: See? **See?** I told you so! **I told you so!**

Vulpix: Shut up and hurry!!

_Even so, Kyumu still ends up running ahead of Vulpix, leaving a very confused Bidoof behind. They arrive at the crossroads. Marill is waiting for them at the crossroads and explains that he lost Drowzee and Azurill somewhere. Now with Marill in the lead, they rush off. They arrive at Mt. Bristle and enter the mountain, leaving Marill at the bottom. By the end, Drowzee reveals to Azurill that it was all a trick, and he wants Azurill to squeeze into that hole in the wall and fetch the treasure for him. Azurill, not liking this plan one bit, tries to escape, but Drowzee blocks him!_

Drowzee: H-hey! Shtop dat! If you don't do what I shay and git'n dere right now, I'll—

Azurill: H-h-h…HELP!

Kyumu: STOOOOOOOP!

Drowzee: What th'—

_Just in time: Kyumu and Vulpix have arrived!_

Drowzee: H-how did you find me? How didja find thish **place**!?

Kyumu: We're Team Lovezors, the Explorers of Awesomeness, here to haxor all criminals and—

Vulpix: Whoa whoa whoa! Kyumu, it's Explorers of **Romance!**

Kyumu: Romance!? **Romance!?** What is it with you and **romance!?** It's a freaking **abstract concept!**

Vulpix: What is it with you and "Awesomeness"!? That's even more abstract!

Kyumu: Awesomeness is awesomeness! Romance is *bleeagh*!

Vulpix: NO IT'S NOT!

Kyumu: IS TOO!

Vulpix: IS NOT!

Kyumu: IS TOO!

_Drowzee looks back and forth between them as they shout at each other. He's finally fed up._

Drowzee: Look, I don't care what you're the exshplorers of, jusht hurry up and tell me!

Kyumu and Vulpix: Explorers of--

Kyumu (at the same time as Vulpix): Awesomeness!

Vulpix (at the same time as Kyumu): Romance!

Drowzee: Okay, okay, I get it! You're the exshplorers of Awesomeness/Romance! Now can we get on wit' the battle or what!?

_They fight. Drowzee turns out to be a much more formidable opponent than Zubat and Koffing combined. After an arduous battle, Kyumu and Vulpix finally win. They march right around Drowzee to reach Azurill._

Kyumu: Come on. Your bro's waiting.

Azurill: Big bwother!? Where!?

_They rush after Azurill, showing him the way down the mountain. At the bottom, a Magnezone officer is waiting. His three Magnemite helpers tie up Drowzee and drag him off after Magnezone. A second later, Marill comes running, and after a tearful, emotional reunion, t__hey leave. But Kyumu and Vulpix stay for a bit._

Vulpix: Y'know…I **thought** we should be Team Lovey-Love, the Explorers of Romance.

Kyumu: Don't start THAT again--

Vulpix: But you know what? I also think I can live with Team Lovezors, the Explorers of Awesomeness/Romance.

Kyumu (smiling): Heh heh…I guess there's no way to convince you to accept Team Haxors, the Explorers of Awesomeness, right?

Vulpix: Right. But to tell you the truth…I didn't put much thought into that name in the first place.

Kyumu: Well, to be honest…Me neither. So. Team Lovezors?

Vulpix (agreeing): Team Lovezors! The Explorers of Awesomeness/Romance!

_Now they leave to the Wigglytuff Guild. Chatot takes all the reward money (leaving 300 for Kyumu and Vulpix) goes downstairs, and hums to himself._

Vulpix: …It really would be nice if they gave us at least a bigger share.

Kyumu (annoyed): Yeah, I swear that cheap-o **actually enjoys** taking that much—

Vulpix: But that's okay. If it weren't for your "weird vision", we would've never known!

Kyumu: You're right! I don't know how, but that shout I heard and that "vision" I had…they both showed things from the future!

Vulpix: The future…?

_Then both of their stomachs growl at the same time. They both laugh. A few minutes later, they're chowing down in the mess hall faster than usual. That night, a storm brews in, much like the storm the night before Vulpix found Kyumu. Kyumu is standing by the window, staring at it like he's never seen it before, while Vulpix is huddled up in her bed, afraid of the rain._

Kyumu: …………Whooooaaa……

Vulpix: Kyumu? I-it's okay, right? The rain can't get in here, right?

Kyumu: Looks like it. Why?

Vulpix: Come **on**, Kyumu. I'm a Fire-type. I can't take rain. But you can.

Kyumu: That still makes no sense to me. Yet. What type am I again?

Vulpix: Fighting.

Kyumu (pumping his fist): SWEET!

_Later that night…_

Vulpix: Kyumu? You know your "visions"?

Kyumu: What about 'em?

Vulpix: I think that maybe they're connected with your past life. After all, you've lost your memory, and I've never heard of a human turning into a Pokémon before. I don't even know **what** a human is! And I've never heard of any Riolu who dreams about the future.

Kyumu: I still don't get it... (Who **was **I, anyway?)

Vulpix: You know when I told you how time is slowly going out of whack all over the world? I think it has something to do with the Time Gears. They're precious artifacts hidden all over the world. Like in a forest…or an underground lake…or even in an altar inside a volcano. They're at the centers of each region and are responsible for keeping the proper flow of time there.

Kyumu: Sounds really important. Can they be disturbed or something?

Vulpix: I think they can be removed…but I don't know what will happen if they were. In fact, that's why everyone leaves them alone. **Not even the most hardened criminals would even dream of touching the Time Gears. **They're that important.

_Meanwhile, in the middle of the stormy night, a shadowy figure darts among the trees. He reaches a magically glowing area—with a Time Gear in it!_

Grovyle: *gasp*! (Finally…I finally found one! A real live **Time Gear!** But…I still have a long way to go…)

_The next day, Kyumu and Vulpix are finally allowed to take any job on the bulletin boards they want. It's a successful day, blah blah blah. And the day after that…they have to do…Sentry Duty! They identify all six Pokémon that come in. By the end, Chatot calls them back. The results…absolutely suck! Apparently, Kyumu still hasn't memorized all the Pokémon in the world. Dejected and ticked off, they don't get any reward that day. Over the next two days, they accomplish a few more jobs. Finally, something different happens after the usual morning chant._

To be continued…


	2. Humiliations Galore!

Chapter 2: Humiliations Galore!

_Chatot says that time in Treeshroud Forest has completely stopped (he can tell because the whole place is in grayscale) because its Time Gear was stolen!_

Everyone: WHAT!?

Kyumu: Vulpix! Didn't you say that not even the most hardened criminals…?

Vulpix: No one ever would!

Loudred: I don't get it, though! Why would ANYONE steal a Time Gear!?

Chatot: QUIET!! Officer Magnezone is launching an investigation on his own. Nevertheless, if one Time Gear can be stolen yesterday, then the other four could be in trouble someday. Be sure to report any suspicious behavior, okay? All right! Time to get to work today! What do we say?

Everyone: HOORAY!

_They all leave, except for Kyumu and Vulpix. Chatot pulls them over to the side again._

Kyumu: What's up, sir?

Chatot: Since you two managed to bring down a difficult criminal like Drowzee, I've been thinking about giving you two a proper mission quite reasonably.

_Chatot borrows their map and points to an area marked with a waterfall._

Chatot: See this waterfall? It looks like an ordinary fall…but we've received intelligence that it might actually be holding a secret. We want you two to explore the waterfall and not let it keep it. Understand?

Kyumu: Aye-aye, sir!

_But Vulpix doesn't respond. She's shaking so much, she can't speak. Tears are streaming down, too._

Chatot: Are you all right!?

Vulpix (teary-eyed): I'm fine…It's just that I…I…Kyumu! This is it! THIS…IS…IIIIIIIIIIIT!

_In fact, she's so emotional, she bite's Kyumu's ear and swings him around in circles. It would be a really fun ride if he expected it, but he didn't, so…_

Kyumu: Huh? What!? What's "it"!?

Vulpix (ridiculously excited): We're! Finally! Goin'! On! An! Offishial! EXPLORATIOOOOOON!!!

Kyumu (ridiculously dizzy): That…was…OW…what you were…OW…excited…about? Owowowow!

_Finally, they all get prepared for, venture towards, and finally arrive at, the Secret Waterfall. It's an absolutely massive waterfall 100 times their size. _

Kyumu: There it is! Let's GOOOOOO!

Vulpix: Wait wait wait! Not too fast! Not too fast--!

_They run across the rocky cliff before it—too fast!—and though they try to slow down, they crash right into it and fall backwards, finally seeing how tall it is!_

Kyumu and Vulpix: Owowowow…! AAAAAAAH!!!

Kyumu: So **that's** how big it is…

Vulpix (sarcastically): Good job, Kyumu. Good job.

Kyumu: ? (Oh no…It's happening again!)

_And then suddenly, Kyumu gets another vision! What looks like Master Wigglytuff jumps right through the waterfall at full speed, landing into a hidden cavern on the other side. The vision ends._

Kyumu: Vulpix! I had another one!

Vulpix: Another what? Wait…you mean another vision!?

Kyumu: Yeah! Master Wigglytuff is going to run right through this waterfall into the cave on the other side.

Vulpix: He's probably coming to check on us. Besides, we shouldn't be insane. If you fell under this waterfall, it would seriously crush you. Wait. What!? There's a cave on the other side!?

Kyumu: I'm serious!

Vulpix: But what if you're wrong…and there's actually a giant cliff wall instead!?

_They visualize it. Ouch._

Kyumu: I know…But I'm sure I'm right! I was right last time, remember?

Vulpix: Well…fine. I believe you. But you have to do this with me! I'm weak to water, remember?

Kyumu: WHAT!? Oh, sorry, I forgot…

Vulpix: Just jump right in front of me, okay?

Kyumu (suddenly uncomfortable): Riiiight…

_She takes a few paces back, getting ready for a running start. Kyumu does the same, but goes in front of her._

Vulpix: Yikes! What if…No! I have to do this at full speed, or else…or else…

Kyumu: Or else we'd get crushed no matter what we do.

Vulpix: That's right! Just—do—it!

Kyumu and Vulpix: Three…two…one…GO!

_And on that note, they leap straight into the waterfall! The next thing they know, they're on flat ground, facing a cavern entrance. They made it!_

Kyumu: Owowowow…Huh?

Imaginary SFX: LAAAAAA~!

Vulpix: We made it! We made it! You were right, Kyumu!

Kyumu: What do you know…it **was** true.

_They both enter the Waterfall Cave, fight through all 8 floors, and reach the top. It is a beautiful chamber filled with glittery jewels. But what really catches their eyes is that giant gem in the center of the wall. They take turns pulling it out, but to no avail._

Kyumu: Aaargh! Uurgh! Urf! YEEAAARRRGH! Stupid thing…c'mon…budge already…

Vulpix: You can't…do it either, huh?

Kyumu: Yes I can! GAH! AAAAARGH! …*huff huff*…Okay, you're right. I can't.

Vulpix: But we have to keep trying! We can't just go back with nothing to show for it! Let me try again. Maybe if we pull on it this way…

Kyumu: ? (What? Again?)

_Kyumu gets another vision! This time it's Master Wigglytuff walking up to the gem, accidentally pushing (not pulling) the gem, and a huge flood pours through! It ends._

Kyumu: That—that was--

Vulpix: Urrrrgh! Urrrrgh! Not…coming…out! AAAGH! **Stupid** gem—!

_Right as she says, "stupid gem", Vulpix slams her head on it—pushing it! A noise emits, sounding like something that shouldn't have been stepped on._

Kyumu: NO! THAT'S—

_Immediately, a huge flood comes in and washes them away!_

Kyumu: STUPID…STUPID…VULPIX!!!

Vulpix (in excruciating pain): AAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIEEEEEEE!!!

_The flood flows into a geyser, which then forcefully squirts them out. They land in the middle of—whaddya know—the Hot Spring! Lots of random Pokémon surround the floating pair._

Kyumu: W…where are we…?

Teddiursa: Hi, hi! Are you two okay? This is the Hot Spring!

Vulpix: What!? **More** water!?

_She shoots out of the water straight into the air, bouncing back up every time she hits the water. You'd think that she was acting like a Grass-type who caught fire. Torkoal, the elder, walks right up as close as he can without actually stepping into the water._

Torkoal: Indeed! This is the Hot Spring, the one place that works best for aching joints and muscles. Where did you all come from?

Kyumu: Treasure Town…?

Torkoal: My goodness! That is so far away! Why don't you rest here for a while? My treat.

Kyumu: Uh…But Vulpix…

Vulpix (still in excruciating pain): AAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIEEEEEEE!!!

_She's still bouncing up and down. Finally Kyumu puts her out of her misery by Force Palming her to shore. She's all furious and stuff, so they start walking back to the guild._

Vulpix: …I've never been **so humiliated** in my whole entire LIFE! Why does all this water stuff keep happening to me!?

Kyumu: Hey, I wasn't the one who pushed the—AAAAH! What the freak are you doing!?

_She blows so many Flamethrowers at him, he runs away like there's no tomorrow. Luckily, by the time they get there, she's finally calmed down._

Chatot: …so let me get this straight. You jumped into the waterfall, found out there was a cave behind it, explored it, found a gem at the end that you couldn't budge, but when you pushed it, it triggered a flood, which then flushed you all the way to the super-famous Hot Spring. Is that it, up to date?

Vulpix (disappointed): Yeah. Too bad we couldn't bring anything back…

Chatot: No, no! Don't be a bore! **No one** knew about that cave before!

Vulpix: Really? We made a discovery? YAAAAY! We're famous, Kyumu! We're famous!

_But Kyumu is still thinking about those visions, clearly troubled._

Kyumu: Can you ask Master Wigglytuff if he's ever been there before?

Vulpix: What!?

Chatot: Unbelievable! Completely inconceivable! The Guildmaster would never make you go to the shelf of something he already discovered himself!

Kyumu: Just do it! Please?

Chatot: …I don't get why he'd be so crazy as to spoil his own discovery…

Kyumu: I HEARD THAT!!

_Chatot flies straight into Master Wigglytuff's official chamber before Kyumu can punch him. A few minutes later, Chatot steps out. Vulpix and Kyumu were waiting._

Vulpix: So? What'd he say?

Chatot: What a bore. He's already been to Waterfall Cave before.

Vulpix and Kyumu: WHAT!?

Chatot: Apparently he went there so many years before he ought, he completely and totally forgot.

Vulpix: Aww, man…

Chatot: Too bad for you. Nevertheless, I expect your best effort tomorrow, true?

Kyumu (grumbling): (So that was actually in the **past**?) I wish he told us **before** we went…

_After eating dinner, they head straight for bed. Vulpix is standing by the window._

Vulpix: That really stunk…and to be humiliated on top of that…*grumble grumble*…

Kyumu: Hey, you're the biggest chicken around, and even you managed to jump in!

Vulpix: Really?

Kyumu: Really.

_They stare at the ceiling for a few more seconds._

Vulpix: Come to think of it, I just noticed that your visions always seem to happen when you're touching something.

Kyumu: You're right! That time…and that time…and those times today…I always see something related to it!

Vulpix: Not only that, all the things you saw either happened in the future…or the past!

Kyumu: That--that's true! (I thought it was just the future, but…)

Vulpix: In other words, whenever you touch something, you see either its past or future.

Kyumu: That is so…SWEET! I could use it for…I dunno…anything! Too bad it never happens when I want it to…

_Just then, Chatot walks in, saying that Wigglytuff needs to see them. In Wigglytuff's chamber…_

Chatot: Guildmaster? Here is Team Lovezors. Here to speak with ya.

Wigglytuff: Hiya, Kyumu and Vulpix! Guess what? Guess what?

Kyumu: What?

Wigglytuff: We're gonna launch a major expedition real soonie! We have to prepare extra hard for it, naturally. We'd never, ever consider rookies, normally…But since you two worked so awesomely, you might get to come along, maybe!

Vulpix: An expedition to somewhere…far away? WOOHOO—

Chatot: Whoa whoa whoa! That doesn't mean you're already on the list! We decide who gets to go based on how much work they do. Get my gist? If you totally screw up…you might as well give up!

Wigglytuff: I'm sure you'll both do awesomely. Keep up the good work, okay?

Kyumu: Will do, man!

Vulpix: Me too!

_Kyumu and Vulpix pose and go "WOOHOO!" The next morning, after the usual blah blah blah, Chatot sends Kyumu and Vulpix to do jobs on the bulletin boards. But once they get there…_

Zubat: Hey!

Koffing: Teh n00bs!

Kyumu: You're…**those haxor dudes!**

Koffing: Whoa-ho-ho! Not just dat! We r a l33t exploration team! But…we** r** a bit 2 l33t fer teh rulez.

Vulpix: How could **you guys** be one too!?

Zubat: Wait. U n00bs r actually a team?

Koffing: U. n00b chicken. Come wit us.

_They drag Vulpix to the side._

Koffing: Listen up, n00b. Drop teh gig. **Right now**.

Vulpix: What!? Why!?

Zubat: 'Cause ur a scaredy-cat chicken who scares too easily.

Vulpix: But…

_She walks back over to Kyumu's side._

Vulpix: That's why I'm on it in the first place! So I can get over it!

Kyumu: Yeah, you should've seen her jump into the waterfall with me!

Koffing (completely surprised): … ….

Zubat: Meh. Sez u. Effort only gets u so far. It's all 'bout talent…pure, l33t talent!

Kyumu (sarcastic): Riiiiiight…I think you guys forgot when we…hmm…**beat you!** It was so easy, it was sad.

Koffing: Whoa-ho-ho! Well, teh Boss-Man wuzn't wit' us.

Kyumu: …Who's the Boss-Man?

Zubat: Team Skull, our l33t exploration team, includes me, Koffing, & teh Boss-Man. If he wuz here, we'd totally pwn u n00bs.

Koffing: He is so l33t, he totally haxors any1 who comes his way. Speaking of which, I smell him comin'!

Vulpix: Smell?

_Right at that moment, the Boss-Man climbs down the ladder and impales Kyumu with an insane stench._

Skuntank: Arr! Outta me way, n00bzor!

Kyumu: AAAAGH! *cough* *cough* *wheeze*

Vulpix: Kyumu! …Ew! What's that smell?

_The stench cloud drifts to the innocent bystanders. Skuntank menacingly approaches Vulpix._

Skuntank: Move it! Or do ya wanna b haxored like dat turkey n00bzor over there!?

Vulpix: AAAAAH! Kyumu!

_She runs to see if Kyumu is okay, not knowing that they think she's a coward._

Koffing: Boss-Man!

Zubat: U pwned them! U r so l33t!

Skuntank: Yeh, yeh, whutever. So, me lackeys, find anythin'?

Zubat: *psst* *psst* *whisper* *whisper*

Skuntank: Ooo! Dat does sound l33t! Let's blow dis joint. Time 2 scheme! S-K-E-M!

_Skuntank leaves, but Koffing and Zubat remain to address the crowd of onlookers before they leave too. _

Vulpix: Kyumu!? Are you okay!?

Kyumu: *zzk* Huh? Wha--? What jus' happened…?

Vulpix: *phew* You're okay…But that Boss-Man…I couldn't face him, even after he hurt you…I let you down…Maybe they are right…I am a n00b. A big, fat, chicken n00b.

Kyumu: W…Wh…What are you talking about? That's nothing! **Why am I the turkey!?**

Vulpix: Their point is…they think we both suck. But still…I'm not gonna give up from something like this!

Kyumu: Me neither! Those dudes better not come back if they know what's good for them.

_With new courage and resolve, they…continue their work as usual. The next day, they perform Sentry duty again, and this time, they get an adequate result. The next day, after the "three rules" chant, a fowl stench wafts through the room._

Chatot (to the ladder): Come on, come on, don't be shy! We can introduce you on the fly!

_Three Pokémon swagger down the ladder, and they are…uh-oh…_

Kyumu and Vulpix: **It's the haxor dudes!** (What are **they** doing here!?)

Koffing: Whoa-ho-ho! I'm Koffing.

Zubat: Heh-heh-heh. I'm Zubat. Glad to meet you.

Skuntank: And I'm Team Skull's leader, Skuntank. Remember that now. Especially you two.

Kyumu and Vulpix (still completely stunned): … … …….

Chatot: What? You know each other? What a gent! Excellent, excellent.

Vulpix: (That's not excellent!!!)

Kyumu: (Is he mental?)

Chatot: Anyway, these three aren't joining us as apprentices initial. Oh, no. They're going straight to the expedition party irrevocable.

Kyumu and Vulpix: WHAT!?

Chatot: What's with you two?

Skuntank: Chatot, sir, those n00bs—I-I mean, **darling little kids** overreact to every single little thing. Don't worry about it—it's just the price of being so young. Yeah.

Chatot: …If you say so.

_For whatever reason, Chatot doesn't seem to notice Kyumu and Vulpix glaring severely at him. Either that or if he does notice, he doesn't show it._

Chatot: That's the Guildmaster's official decision, you know. However, since coordinating teamwork right away would be impossible, he also said they should reside with us for several days communal. All right, everyone, do your best today! What do we say?

Everyone (without enthusiasm): …Hooray.

Chatot: Everyone? Are you okay?

_No they're not. Everyone starts shouting._

Loudred: This STINKS! How do you expect us to work with THEM!?

Kyumu: Wigglytuff, my man, tell me you're kidding! This **is** a joke, right?

Wigglytuff: YOOM…

Kyumu: (Huh?)

_Suddenly, the entire floor starts shaking!_

Vulpix: AAAH! Wh-what's going on!?

Chatot: It's the Guildmaster! He's so upset; he's going to blow this place up suicidal! Hurry everyone; cheer louder, even if it hurts mental! WHAT DO WE SAY!?

Everyone (suddenly desperate): HOORAY!!

_Just as soon as the shaking starts, it stops. Everyone immediately leaves. But Team Skull has one more word with Chatot before leaving. _

Team Skull: WOOT! WOOT! WOOT! WOOT!

_And then they finally leave. Then Kyumu and Vulpix discuss amongst themselves._

Vulpix: Did you notice they way they talked, Kyumu?

Kyumu: That was…really different. They actually sounded normal this time.

Vulpix: That's not normal. I totally smell a rat.

Kyumu: Me too. I say we avoid them as much as we can.

_They complete the day's jobs as usual. But by dinnertime, they discover to their chagrin that the three empty spaces right in front of (and to the right of) them were apparently reserved for Team Skull. As a result, they eat as fast as they can so they can get out of there fast. _

SFX: Crunch munch! Chomp chomp! Gobble gulp! Crunch munch! Chomp chomp! Gobble gulp!

_Everyone goes to bed. But in the middle of the night, Team Skull finds the secret food stash and eats up like there's no tomorrow (the gluttons…). After the next morning's usual routines, Chatot pulls Kyumu and Vulpix over again._

Chatot: Ah, you two! I want you to go out farther. Find enough stock to replenish the larder.

Kyumu: What's a "larder"?

Chatot: For your information, it's…our…**food!** And for whatever reason, the Guild's stock dropped sharply all of a sudden, with no time to brood!

Kyumu and Vulpix (totally sarcastic): (Hmm…I wonder…who could it be?)

Chatot: In particular, I want you to go to Apple Woods to obtain some more Perfect Apples, if you could.

Vulpix: What are they?

Chatot (going ballistic): **The Guildmaster's favorite food! **And it's the only thing that's completely gone—absolutely lewd! If he doesn't have any more of them, then he…he…Ack!

Kyumu: What wrong? What's going to happen to Master Wigglytuff!?

Chatot: He…he…urk! …And that's what will happen. Yeah.

Vulpix: Huh? What? I couldn't hear you! Kyumu, could you hear him?

Kyumu: Me neither. Dude, could you say that again?

Chatot: Nope! That's how it is terrible! Anyway, this mission may sound trivial…**but this is the Guildmaster we're talking about! YOU CAN'T FAIL! UNDERSTAND, you louts!?**

Kyumu and Vulpix: Okay, okay!

_Kyumu and Vulpix run out of there as fast as they can. Team Skull follows. An hour later, Kyumu and Vulpix arrive at Apple Woods, with the meanie-butts hot on their tail. At the end, they finally encounter the giant Perfect Apple tree._

Kyumu: Here they are! Fi-na-lly!

Vulpix: Whaddya say we headbutt this thing?

Kyumu (rubbing his hands in anticipation): Ooooo…**Yes**…

Skuntank: BOO!

Kyumu and Vulpix: What the-!?

_Apparently they decided to head straight for the Perfect Apple tree and wait there! They jump out._

Zubat: It's teh turkey & teh chicken n00bs! Wat took u so long?

Koffing: *BUUUURP*

Kyumu (pales): Don't tell me…

Skuntank: Arr, don't blow up on us now. Look. There r some left. I'll even show u me l33t skillz.

_He goes and headbutts the tree for them. Five Perfect Apples fall out. Then he resumes his position._

Vulpix: (Aww man…**I** wanted to do that!)

Skuntank: C? They right there! Go on. Scoop some up & skedaddle…n00bs!

Kyumu (whispering): Vulpix…

Vulpix: I know…

_They hold their ground and stare angrily at the meanie-butts. In fact, one could almost hear the sound of staring._

Kyumu and Vulpix (angry): *staaaaaaare…*

Skuntank: Wat r u w8ing fer? R u 2 mental?

Kyumu: No. **You're** the mental ones.

Vulpix: This is another trap…Isn't it!?

Kyumu: Isn't it!?

_Completely surprised, the meanie-butts discuss amongst themselves._

Skuntank: N-no way!

Koffing: Teh n00bs didn't fall fer it all!

Zubat: Wat do we do? Wat do we do!?

Skuntank: Teh only thing we can do…Koffing, let's pwn them!

Vulpix: Kyumu, NOW!

_They leap towards the Perfect Apples, but before they do, Koffing and Skuntank unleash their noxious gas combo on them! When they wake up, only a pwned Zubat remains. And the Perfect Apples…oh no…_

Vulpix: Uuugh…Eeew…Are you okay, Kyumu?

Kyumu: Yeah…What…just happened?

Zubat: AAAAH! W8 w8 w8, me homies!!!

Vulpix: But the Perfect Apples…

Kyumu: I knew it…

_They're all gone!_

Kyumu and Vulpix: !!!!

_That completely killed all of Kyumu and Vulpix's fun. Back at the guild…_

Chatot: Whaaaaat!? NOTHING!? What am I gonna do? What am I gonna do? **What am I gonna do!?**

Vulpix: But it wasn't our fault! Team Skull—

Chatot: Wasn't your fault? **Wasn't your fault!?** You're so useless!

Kyumu: But Team Skull took them all--

Chatot: NO MORE EXCUSES! You two—no dinner for you!

Kyumu and Vulpix: WHAT!? That's not fair!

Chatot: Not fair? Not **fair!? **I'll tell you what's not fair—facing the Guildmaster's wrath all by myself? I wouldn't dare! After dinner, you two come with me, got it!? **That's an order, so do it!**

_At dinnertime, Kyumu and Vulpix are forced to sit behind Team Skull as everyone engages in the eating spree. _

_Later, in the Guildmaster's Chamber, they are staring at the ground in shame._

Wigglytuff: Hiya, Team Lovezors! You brought some Perfect Apples for me? YAY!

Chatot: Yeah, well, uh…they, uh…

Wigglytuff: What's wrong?

Chatot: They, uh…**failed**, and…uh…

Wigglytuff: Don't worry! Don't worry! Everyone fails occasionally. Where are the other apple thingies?

Chatot: Well…because they failed…uh…they **didn't harvest any**.

Wigglytuff (a bit shocked): …Oh.

Chatot: And that means…uh…you can't eat 'em anymore. Yes, that's what it means! Oh, what a chore!

Hee! Hee! Hee! Oh, silly me! Hee-heeeeee! Hee-heeeeee! Hee-heeeeee! Hee—

Kyumu: SHUT UP, CHATOT!

_It's true—tears are already forming on his eyes! Kyumu runs up to him._

Wigglytuff: *snivel…snivel…sob…*

Kyumu: Dude, Wigglytuff. You can have my Orange Gummi, right?

Wigglytuff: W—w—waaah…

Chatot: Guildmaster!

_Then the whole place starts shaking!_

Kyumu: C-come on, man…Don't do this…

Vulpix: I don't think you can do anything, Kyumu!

Chatot: Cover your ears! Now!

Kyumu and Vulpix: Whaddya mean!?

Chatot: Do it! YEEEOW!

Wigglytuff: WAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!

_The whole place is not only shaking, it's blowing up!_

Chatot and Vulpix: AAAAIIIIIEEE!!

Kyumu: WHAT KIND OF EXPLOSIONS **ARE **THESE!?

Skuntank: Sorry to disturb you! Here's a Perfect Apple!

_Suddenly, the explosions stop. Skuntank and his lackeys shove Kyumu and Vulpix out of the way, then plop a Perfect Apple in front of Wigglytuff!_

Kyumu (seeing what's really going on): Hey! That was mine!

Wigglytuff: Huh? Hey, you all really got me an apple thingie! It's not nice to joke, you knowie.

Kyumu: No duh.

Chatot: Thank you so very, very much! Hey! You two! Thank them a bunch!

Kyumu and Vulpix: But-but-but-but-but—

Chatot: Do it! Or I'll whip you to it!

Kyumu and Vulpix (reluctantly grumbling): *myeh myeh myeh myeh myeh*…

Skuntank: It's quite all right. This is our gratitude, after all.

Chatot: Ah, so you are refined and remarkable, on a mission! You are so on the expedition!

Skuntank: No, no. You are the refined and remarkable ones. We hope to enjoy your company. Good night!

_As the haxor dudes leave, they discuss amongst themselves about how n00bish Wigglytuff really is, how they love making those "n00bs" look like n00bs, and their plan to "pwn" everyone when they discover treasure. Kyumu and Vulpix return to their beds. Vulpix is upset, while Kyumu is totally ticked off. _

Kyumu: Stupid, stupid Chatot! He just **had** to steal our Treasure Bag…*grumble grumble*…(which had 10 Huge Apples and 5 Orange Gummis and…)

Vulpix: Stupid, stupid meanie-butts! I've never been so humiliated in my whole entire LIFE!! *grumble*

_The next morning (The narrator is tired of saying that, so I, the other narrator, am doing it.), after the announcements, Chatot pulls them aside._

Chatot: About the expedition desired… You two…are…

Kyumu: Yeah?

Chatot: SO FIRED!!

Kyumu and Vulpix: WHAT!?

Chatot: That's right! The Guildmaster won't even THINK about letting you join since you failed, so don't get your hopes all up and nailed! That's all. See ya. Wouldn't wanna be ya.

Kyumu and Vulpix: …………

_He leaves. Since they were already so weak from hunger, and then being told something so depressing like that…they collapse._ _When they wake up, they find themselves in their room, with Bidoof, Sunflora, and Chimecho worrying about them._

Sunflora: Oh my gosh, they're barely alive!

Chimecho: Kyumu! Vulpix! Quick—we saved some of our dinners last night. Here—eat up!

Kyumu and Vulpix: …!?

_Gratefully, they eat like there's no tomorrow._

Vulpix: Thank you, thank you, **thank you **for doing this!

Kyumu: Why save our lives? I barely know you.

Vulpix: Don't you want to be picked, too?

Bidoof: Yeah, but…by golly, everyone's got to have a fair chance!

Chimecho: Even if you don't get picked, you should cheer for those who did.

Sunflora: Who wouldn't want to go with Kyumu and Vulpix, anyway!? (You two are so adorable!)

Kyumu: Uh, Team Skull--?

Chimecho: Who cares about them? They're practically bribing their way through.

Bidoof: If you ignore the cheaters and work for it the honest way, you'll eventually shine through, yup yup! I'm sure of it!

Kyumu: Thanks! You guys are actually cool now!

Vulpix: WAAAAAAH! (No one's ever been this nice to us before!)

_Eventually, they get on with their work. And yes, they finally get their Treasure Bag back so they can eat all the gummis and Apples they want! The next day, they do—Sentry Duty! And this time, they get everything right! They do jobs the next day, and at dinner, before they can eat anything, Chatot announces that the decisions are finalized and will be announced the next day._ _That night…_

Vulpix: Ooooh…I hope we're picked! I hope we're picked! Why can't tomorrow come faster!? **Move faster, Mr. sun!**

Kyumu: *Yawwwn*…Just go to bed, Vulpix…

Vulpix: Right, riiight…Okay, good night…

Kyumu: (But still…She'll be crushed if she doesn't get picked. Personally, I don't care, but if I do, maybe that weird ability might finally come in handy…Hey! How come I'm not getting those visions anymore!? If only I could control them…Arrrgh! …) *sigh*…(Thinking about it won't help. I'd better get to sleep.)

_Meanwhile, in an underground cavern trickling with water…_

Grovyle: There it is! (The second Time Gear!)

_He takes it!_

Grovyle: Two down. Only three more…until we can… (stupid system…)

_The next morning, after the morning address, Chatot breaks the news. Team Skull is already standing up front since they by default are going._

Chatot: Ahem. Here it is! The moment you've all been waiting for. Right here, I have the official listing of who will join our expedition party—it is this! Step forward if your name is called, or be a bore.

Vulpix: This is it! This is it!

_In short, he calls up Loudred, Corphish, Bidoof (wow, what a surprise), Chimecho, and Sunflora._

Chatot: And so…that's all.

Vulpix (dismayed): No…

Skuntank: (Chaw-haw-haw! Looks like teh n00bs r out.)

Zubat: (Heh-heh-heh. They got owned.)

Koffing: (Whoa-ho-ho! Absolute pwnage!)

Chatot: We'll be departing when we're all ready and—Huh? What the--? (There's something here, but…How the heck am I supposed to read this!? Oops. Better not say that aloud.) Uh…it looks like there are…uh…the other members are…uh…Diglett, Dugtrio, and Croagunk. Oh, and Vulpix and Kyumu. That is all.

_Everyone perks up._

Kyumu (slightly annoyed): (**Hey**…Why was I last?)

Chatot: Wait. What!? Whaaaat!? Guildmaster! According to your list…everyone is going! Everyone in the guild! **Everyone! **Get my gist!?

Wigglytuff: Yup yup yuppie! Your pointie?

Chatot: That means the whole selection process was totally pointless! And what about the guild? We can't just leave it empty, can we!? It's completely meaningless!

Wigglytuff: It's all righty, it's all righty. I know how to lock up, nice and tightly.

Skuntank: Guildmaster, don't **you** think we have too many members?

Wigglytuff: Why do you ask thattie? Aren't you happy?

Skuntank: I mean, what's the point!?

Wigglytuff: The point is…**We** would be more happy!

Skuntank: What!?

Wigglytuff: We'll be noisy and excited and totally haxor every single baddie!!

Kyumu: SWEET!

Wigglytuff: That's because I got the idea from you, Kyumu. When you explained to me just how much fun you and Vulpix had…I…*squee*! Wouldn't it be awesome if we could ALL do thattie!?

Kyumu: Yes…YES!!

Skuntank: No! NOOO!

Wigglytuff: So, everyone! We're gonna do our best and have fun, fun, FUN! Wheehee!

Everyone: HOORAY!!

_Team Skull leaves, muttering something about "pwnage" and "n00bs". Wigglytuff goes back into his chamber, and the whole group agrees to work together and do the best they can. Then they go pack everything they need into their Treasure Bag and talk to Chatot when they're everyone's assembled…Chatot arranges them all into groups. Kyumu and Vulpix get paired with Bidoof._

Chatot: Well, everyone…Let's **move out! **What do we say?

Everyone: HOORAY!

Narrator: And thus…The guild's expedition party began making its way toward Fogbound Lake. According to plan, the party was split into the designated groups. And Kyumu, Vulpix, and Bidoof's group plotted its course. The group settled on a route along the seacoast to reach the base camp.

To be continued…


	3. The Shortest Expedition Ever

Chapter 3: The Shortest Expedition Ever

Vulpix: Okay. This is where we are…And this is where we have to go. How about reaching over here by the end of the day?

Bidoof: Sounds good to me, yup yup!

Kyumu: (Vulpix's acting like a leader now…Maybe it's because she's always wanted to go on an adventure like this. I should know—I was always the leader! She used to be so scared before, and now she's come so far…I mean, wow...)

_The three of them venture through and reach the top of Craggy Coast, where they stop for a break. The sun is already setting, and only half of it is visible. _

Vulpix: *whew*…We're almost there…Just one more mountain to go…

_Suddenly, all of their stomachs growl at once. Except Kyumu's._

Vulpix: Okay! Let's camp here for the night!

Bidoof: Sounds good to me, yup yup!

Kyumu: What are you guys, insane? I just barely got started! Let's keep going!

Vulpix: But Kyuuuuumuuuu…I'm tired! I'm hungry! I need—

Kyumu: No way! I feel like can climb three more mountains! C'mon! Let's go go go!

Vulpix: But…I can't…

Kyumu: Fine. Suit yourselves. See ya.

_He tries to go, but Vulpix bites him on the ear again._

Vulpix: Jusht wait, Kyumu! You can't leave ush behind!

Bidood: Chatot said to travel in a group, you know!

Kyumu (finally fed up): GAAAR! OKAY, THAT'S IT!!

_He utilizes his awesome muscle strength and __**lifts them both**__!_

Vulpix and Bidoof: What the--!?

Kyumu (all excited): CHAAAARGE!!

_Before they can protest, Kyumu starts running up Mt. Horn while carrying them. He runs and runs and runs and runs, not even breaking a sweat. Eventually, Vulpix and Bidoof give in to fate and enjoy the ride, and soon enough, by nightfall, they arrive at the camp._ _It's very foggy. Everyone is at the base camp already, sleeping in the Wigglytuff tents. Kyumu runs to the middle, sets Vulpix and Bidoof down, and yells at the top of his lungs._

Kyumu: We're HEEEEERRREEEE!!

Chatot: SET UP YOUR STUFF AND GO TO SLEEP! You're late, so don't make a peep! We came in the afternoon, you know. Go to bed NOW! I don't care if you're slow!

_They choose an empty tent, set down their sleeping bags, and fall asleep immediately. The next day, everyone wakes up and gathers in a group. They all leave towards the Foggy Forest's entrance. Vulpix starts moving, but then stops when she sees that Kyumu isn't._

Vulpix: Kyumu? What's wrong?

Kyumu: I…uh… (…Why does it feel like I've been here before?)

_They catch up to the whole group, all assembled._

Chatot: Everyone's here, right? Good! They say that Fogbound Lake is hidden inside this Foggy Forest. But so far, no one has ever found it. No one. The Guildmaster and I will stay here, while the rest of you will explore the forest in teams to get it done.

Chimecho: Uh…May I say something?

Chatot: Certainly, Chimecho.

Chimecho: On the way here, Sunflora and I passed by a village, and someone there said that there's this Pokémon named Uxie who lives here. They say that if Uxie stares at you in the eyes…he can erase your memory. Permanently.

Kyumu: (Uxie can erase memories!? But that…that has to be a coincidence…On the other hand…if I** have **been here before…maybe…I met him?)

Chimecho: Anyway, they say that anyone who does manage to find the lake through this fog...gets their memories wiped by Uxie. They say he does this to protect it.

Chatot: Interesting…Nevertheless, the fog is so thick, you can't see three feet in front of you. Therefore, you have two objectives, true? One, if you can prove, this fog is what you should try to remove. Two, and more importantly, find the lake. Don't make a mistake!

Wigglytuff: Now remember, everyone! Have fun, fun, fun!

Everyone: YEAH!

_They proceed, while Diglett and Dugtrio search Skull goes on. After preparing the Treasure Bag, Kyumu proceeds with Vulpix through the entrance. But then Vulpix stops, entranced by a glowing red pyramid-shaped gem. She picks it up._

Vulpix: Wow! It's warm! Aaaaaah…I could get used to this. Why don't you touch it, Kyumu?

Kyumu (getting impatient): Yes, it **is** warm. Can we go now?

_They venture through the Foggy Forest, and they emerge to find a lush green place with tons of waterfalls. But it's still foggy. They see Corphish up ahead, walking forwards._

Kyumu: Corphish! What's up, man?

Corphish: Oh, hey…I couldn't find anything--OW!

_Since he had to turn his head back to talk to them, he scuttles backwards—right into a giant statue! It's sticking at a weird angle. They run up to him. Kyumu and Vulpix circle the statue, examining it at every angle. Kyumu sees an inscription on the right side (the statue's left)._

Kyumu: Oh, great. More language I can't understand.

Vulpix: Huh? What?

Kyumu: This.

Vulpix: Oh! Let me read it. It says…uh… "Reignite the fire that burned within Groudon…Then the sky shall blaze with the sun's heat…The path to treasure shall be revealed."

Corphish: Treasure!?

Vulpix: This statue is "Groudon", huh…? Hey Kyumu! Why don't you touch it?

Kyumu: I was just gonna do that.

_He touches it and waits for two seconds. Four._

Vulpix: See anything yet?

Kyumu: It's…coming!

_And then a vision…of darkness?_

Grovyle? : It's here! It's here! (A Time Gear is here!)

Kyumu? : Fi-na—lly! Do you know how long that took? Do ya? Do ya!?

_It ends._

Kyumu: (Wh—what was that!? Just voices this time!?)

Vulpix: Kyumu, what is it?  
Kyumu: Wait—another one's…coming!

_The next vision still has more voices._

Kyumu? : I see! You're supposed to place the Drought Stone in Groudon's heart. That lifts the fog!

Grovyle?: You did it! You did it! Good job, Kyumu!

_It ends as abruptly as the first. Corphish has no idea what's going on._

Kyumu: K-"Kyumu"? Wha--?

Vulpix: What was it? What did you see!?

Kyumu: I didn't see anything…I only heard two voices. I don't know if it was from the past or future…

_He takes the red pyramid gem from Vulpix and walks around to the statue's front._

Vulpix: Hey! What are you doing with that?

Kyumu: Those voices said to place the Drought Stone in Groudon's—oh, this must be it.

_He places the gem inside the hole inset into the statue's heart. Its eyes glow, and the whole ground starts shaking!_

Corphish: Uh-oh…

Kyumu and Vulpix: RUN FOR IT!!

_A bright flash of light envelops everyone. When they finally open their eyes a minute later, they see the sun shining down from the sky. The fog is gone!_

Kyumu: WHOOOOA!! Vulpix! Corphish! Look up!

_For just up ahead is the Fogbound Lake—in a mountain shaped like a goblet! Waterfalls are cascading down as neat strips from the top. It's weird how the base is smaller than the top._

Vulpix: No wonder no one's ever been able to find it! We'd be walking in circles for years trying to find that thing in the fog!

Corphish: I'll tell the guild. You two go on ahead.

_Corphish leaves._ _But as Kyumu and Vulpix go on ahead, Team Skull jumps out from the waterfall they were hiding behind and blocks them!_

Skuntank: Good job, turkey & chicken n00bs! Chaw-haw-haw.

Koffing: Whoa-ho-ho! Fer a couple of n00bs, dat wuz straight l33tness!

Zubat: But u won't get any l33t shiny things—we will! Thank u!

Kyumu (sarcastically): Oh, right, so you just **had** to show yourselves **right** after Corphish left. Good job, good job. I bet you could see right through the fog, too.

Vulpix: Wait. So you're saying you humiliated us so freakin' badly all this time just because you wanted TREASURE?? That is sad. That is just sad.

Koffing: Wat did u expect?

Skuntank: Since u ain't useful no more…We'll have 2 haxor u.

Kyumu and Vulpix: **Oh YEAH!?**

_Zubat moves back, as if expecting something. Koffing and Skuntank step up to meet them._

Koffing: Fine. U asked 4 it.

Skuntank: U can't win again! Ready, Koffing? Dis is our…l33t noxious gas—

Wigglytuff: ZOWIE! Wait for meeeee!

_A Perfect Apple comes bouncing out from behind a waterfall._

Zubat: Whut teh…?

Wigglytuff: Apple thingie! Apple thingie!

_Sure enough, Master Wigglytuff runs up and catches it._

Wigglytuff: I finally caught you! I finally caught you! Yes oh yes oh yes yes yes! Huh? Oh, Team Lovezors!

Skuntank: G-guildmaster…What are you doing here?

Wigglytuff: I ditched meanie Chatot and took a walk, but then my Perfect Apple ran away from me! I ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran…and here I am. Oh yeah!

_He turns to Kyumu and Vulpix and gives them his official permission to go on ahead. Before Vulpix can argue, Kyumu drags her by her tail as fast as possible away from there with a big grin on his face—mostly from anticipation of Wigglytuff going to totally pwn Team Skull. Eventually, they arrive at the base of Steam Cave. Fogbound Lake is at the top of it. Steam pours from the fumarole vents and a deep fissure into the cave wall serves as the entrance. Vulpix's tails wag up and down at an insane speed and Kyumu rubs his hands together in anticipation._

Vulpix: (I love this! I love this! This place, which no one has explored before…**is fiery!!)** *Squeeee!*

Kyumu: (If we can get through here and reach the top, then maybe…maybe…I'll discover who I was before.) *Yessss!*

_With big grins on their faces, they enter. At the halfway point, Kyumu finally tells Vulpix his suspicions that he might've actually been here before. They continue their climb up and reach the top—Steam Cave Peak._

Vulpix: Something feels weird here…

Groudon: GROOOOOOOH… GROOOOOOOH!

Kyumu: Oh cr-…!

_Meanwhile, Corphish leads everyone to the stone statue. They feel shaking and hear roaring up ahead, and they rush off. But to the left behind a waterfall is…a seriously pwned Team Skull._

Skuntank: *Hork—gack*---How'd dat happen!? He...oh crap.

Koffing: Whut?

Skuntank: I just remembered…He don't have no nose.

_Koffing's and Zubat's hearts practically skip a beat. Then they glare at Skuntank._

Zubat (getting really angry): …& u couldn't have told us 'bout dis earlier **becuz--!?**

Skuntank: Shut up…

_Meanwhile, back at the top of Steam Cave…the gigantic Groudon is furiously stomping his way straight towards Kyumu and Vulpix!_

Vulpix: Th-th-th-th—The statue…

Groudon: YOU DESECRATERS! I AM GROUDON, FOGBOUND LAKE'S ALL POWERFUL AND AWESOME GUARDIAN, AND YOU…**YOU**…WILL NEVER LEAVE HERE…ALIVE!!

Vulpix (growling): No! I can't run away now! Grrrr….!

Kyumu (turning his "game face" on): Bring—it—on!

_They fight an epic battle. Groudon's instant sunlight actually powers Vulpix's Flamethrowers up so she can blast him from far away. Whenever Groudon shoots his own Flamethrowers at Kyumu, Vulpix throws herself in front of the blast. Thanks to her Flash Fire ability, she simply absorbs the fire and uses it to power her own Flamethrowers. Finally…after a long battle…they…win? Suddenly, the Groudon's body lights up and explodes in a flash of light!_

Kyumu: Hey! Where'd he go!?

Uxie: That was…not Groudon. **I** made that illusion.

Vulpix: Who said that?

Uxie: Like I said, I am the guardian here. You cannot pass.

Vulpix: Wait! We only need information! We're not gonna wreck the place!

Uxie: Really…?

Kyumu: It's true! You've gotta believe us!

Uxie: Hmm…Well…Fine. I believe you.

_The legendary Uxie—complete with his trademark yellow turban--materializes in front of them out of thin air! He levitates, apparently, and his eyes are closed so he can't mind-wipe anyone…yet._

Uxie: Let me welcome you, then. I am Uxie, the guardian of Fogbound Lake.

Kyumu: What the—You're Uxie!?

Uxie: Yes. If you promise not to speak of the secret of Fogbound Lake, I will show it to you.

Kyumu and Vulpix (seriously, trying not to look him in the eyes): …We promise.

Uxie: Very good. This way.

_They leave the cave and arrive at a very pretty sparkling lake. It is nighttime already._

Uxie: It may be a little difficult to see at night, but…Behold! Fogbound Lake!

Kyumu and Vulpix: Woooowwww….

_Volbeat and Illumise lights dot around the water and the lake is lit with the soft glow of a green bulge in the middle._

Uxie: Water constantly wells up from far below this place. It has flowed up so heavily that it has now become this enormous lake. Now cast your eyes to the glowing area in the center of the lake.

Vulpix: That blue-green bulgy thingy, right?

Uxie: Step forward for a closer look.

_Inside the green bulge is a glowing blue gear surrounded by a translucent blue aura. Kyumu experiences an intense internal reaction at the sight of it._

Kyumu: …. ……. …… (What IS that? I…can't…breathe…Why is it paralyzing me? Why is it making my heart race so hard? And what…is this incredible…longing?)

Vulpix: Ooooo…pretty. What is it?

Uxie: That is…a Time Gear.

Kyumu and Vulpix: **What!?** No way! Are you serious!?

Uxie: I guard the Time Gear. It is the only reason I am here. Others before you have tried to trespass here. But my Groudon illusion chased most of them off.

Vulpix: How'd you do that?

Uxie: Like so…

_A Groudon suddenly appears out of nowhere! Kyumu and Vulpix freak out._

Uxie: Be calm. It is only an illusion. There are others before who defeated it...They managed to make it to this spot. But they were trespassers! So I took away their memories…and thus, protected the lake.

Kyumu: Hey, that reminds me! Uxie—dude—you're not gonna believe this, but I lost all my freakin' **memories.** All I remembered was my name and the fact that I was a human.

Uxie: Wha--A human!? Are you sure!?

Kyumu: I'm serious.

Uxie (turning away): No…no, it cannot be possible. Their planet is…hundreds of light-years away…and they are in the most rudimentary stages of interplanetary travel…

Kyumu: Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa WHOA WHOA! Hold up! I'm from another **planet??**

Uxie: If you were a true human…that would be so.

Kyumu: Still…did I, like, come here as a human and you erased my memories?

Uxie: …No. A human has never come though here before. Furthermore, I only erase memories of Fogbound Lake. I cannot fully erase all memories from living beings…or else they would die. Something else…must have caused this…and the transformation into a Riolu…

Wigglytuff: A Time Gear! A Time Gear! Aww…too bad. We can't take it.

_Wigglytuff comes up from behind them!_

Uxie: And who might this be?

Vulpix: This is our Guildmaster Wigglytuff! He's the leader of our expedition.

Wigglytuff: Glad to meet you, friend! Friend! Friend! Friend!

_He also says it to the Groudon illusion! (LOL!) Meanwhile, the guild members finally reach the place and see…_

Guild members: AAAAAAAH! G-GR-GROUDON!!!

Wigglytuff: Oh, don't mind that. Look over there! It's pretty! Pretty!

Guild members: HUH?

_The geyser is spouting into the night sky, illuminated in soft pastel colors. The Volbeat and Illumise surround it. Kyumu and Vulpix sit together, sharing this moment._

Everyone: Woooowww…

Uxie: Yes, the lake geyser erupts every now and then. The Time Gear sends illumination from below…and everything you see here is the very vision of beauty and harmony!

Wigglytuff: The treasure…must be this view!

Vulpix: This is so magical, Kyumu! It's too bad we couldn't find out your past…

Kyumu: It doesn't matter! I'm glad we came…

Vulpix: I'm glad we came, too!

Kyumu: (Hang on…Uxie said he never met me…But if that's true, then…how did I know this place!?)

_After the geyser's eruption, and when the lake goes back to normal…_

Uxie: I shall not take away your memories of this place. You have earned my trust.

Everyone: *pheeeeeeewwweee!*

Uxie: But I must ask that you keep this place a secret.

Wigglytuff: We promise! I swear it in the name of Wigglytuff's Guild, seriously!

Uxie: Please hold true to that promise.

Wigglytuff: Okay! Goodbye, Uxie!

Everyone: HOORAY!!

Narrator: And so, the guild's shortest expedition ever finally came to an end. Wigglytuff and friends safely returned to the guild…and had to take up the good ol' training routine of yore!

To be continued…


	4. DON'T DO THIS, MAN!

Chapter 4: DON'T DO THIS, MAN!!!

Narrator: The next morning… (Wow, I haven't done that in a while…)

Loudred: UP AND AT 'EM! IT'S MORNING!

_The usual routines, except… some guy named "Dusk-nwar" shows up. Master Wigglytuff is greeting him at the ladder on the basement's lower level, to the left of the entrance of his chamber. Everyone is watching._

Loudred: WHAT!? You haven't heard of THE world-famous Dusknoir!?

Vulpix: Well…uh…

Sunflora: Actually, that makes sense. He came out of nowhere and became famous almost overnight! I heard that he doesn't work in a team; he explores **all by himself!**

Kyumu: **Lucky**…*grumble grumble*…

Loudred: But most amazing of all? He knows EVERYTHING! Everything in the world.

Kyumu and Vulpix (doubtful): ("Everything?" Reeeeaally?)

Vulpix: Does he come here a lot?

Loudred: Nope! This is his first time. That's why Diglett couldn't recognize him.

_Back to Dusknoir and Wigglytuff._

Dusknoir: …I see. Must've been a real disappointment.

Wigglytuff: Yuppie! A waste of time completely! Sorry.

Dusknoir: Not at all! It's no trouble. I plan to stay in Treasure Town temporarily. May I visit during that time?

Wigglytuff: No problem for me! Other teams visit us **all the time**, you knowie**.**

_Wigglytuff then addresses the guild members. When everyone hears how Dusknoir can sign autographs all day, everyone immediately swarms him for some. Even Team Lovezors. For dinner, Kyumu and Vulpix are particularly happy that they don't have to share a space with Team "Haxor Dudes" anymore. When night comes, Team Skull (how'd they get here?) walks right up to the guild, all ticked off at being pwned by Wigglytuff. They decide to "haxor sum' n00bs" for payback._ _The next morning, Chatot sends Kyumu and Vulpix to the Kecleon Markets to see if they have any Perfect Apples. But when they arrive, they find Dusknoir laughing it up with the brothers._

Dusknoir: Greetings, young ones! You hail from the guild, correct?

Kyumu: Yes sir! We're Team Lovezors, the Explorers of Awesomeness/Romance!

Vulpix: Nice to meet you! So what are you doing, Sir Dusknoir? Shopping?

Dusknoir: No, no. Just exercising my vocal chords with these fine brothers!

Kyumu: ("Excerising his **vocal chords**"?? Who ever says THAT?)

Vulpix: Hey, Kecleon. Got any Perfect Apples?

Kecleon: Hmm…Sorry. We don't have any **or** plan to stock any more of them.

_The Marill brothers are back! They say their lost "thingie" is a Water Float, and apparently, someone already found it on the beach. Meanwhile, to the right, there's…oh great…Team "Haxor Dudes" is listening in! They leave toward the beach, and shortly afterwards, the brothers leave in the same direction._

Kecleon: I've never heard of a Water Float. What does it do?

Dusknoir: It's specifically for Azurill, and can only be obtained by trading treasures again and again.

Kecleon: Say what!? But—but—We're supposed to be shop masters, and—if we've never heard of it—

Vulpix: Oh, wait! We're supposed to report back to Chatot right now!

Kyumu: Sheesh. Took you long enough…

_They meet with Chatot in the guild, where Chatot groans in the fact that he's going to have to get the Perfect Apples himself from now on. That evening, at dinnertime…_

Chatot: Hold it, everyone! I have an announcement!

Everyone: Jeez! What is it now!? Let's EAT already!

Chatot: SILENCE, PLEASE! Ahem. To put it bluntly…Another Time Gear has been stolen!

Everyone: WHAT!?

Bidoof: Uh…is it maybe…the one in Fogbound Lake?

Chatot: No. It's from somewhere else unheard. But since it was the second, it would be catastrophic if it happened again, and we received word. So remember: On the expedition, you must never tell anyone what we saw! Understood? Don't help them break the law!

Loudred: Yeah! I don't have a big mouth!

Chatot: Okay, okay! Quiet, everyone! Now that's complete. Sorry to keep you waiting. Ready…set…EAT!

_Far away…Uxie is sprawled out on the ground in pain, at the lake's edge. The Groudon illusion is also totally trashed in its respective room. It looks like he is facing…the Time Gear thief!?_

Uxie (struggling to talk): …………I should have done it. I should have taken their memories when I had the chance.

Grovyle: What are you talking about? No one told me about this place. I've known there was a Time Gear here…for a very long time. Please, I don't wish to hurt you. But I need it.

_The next morning, after the morning routine, Loudred tells Team Lovezors that they have visitors waiting for them at the front gate. When they arrive there…they find Marill and Azurill! They place a piece of paper in front of Team Lovezors and say they found that instead of their Water Float._

Vulpix: Let me read it. "2 teh Team Lovezors n00bs. We've got yer Precious Water Float. We dare u 2 get it back! We w8 4 u in teh Amp Plains. But we know how n00bish u r…I bet u can't reach us! Chaw-haw-haw! Can't handle it? Go 2 yer l33t friends! Chaw-haw-haw! :-)" …Oh my gosh. That is **so** a trap.

Azurill: I wanna go! I wanna go!

Marill (starting to cry): No, Azurill! You stay here. I went to Amp Plains, but there were too many electric-types there. I try and I try and I try…but no matter what, I can never get past the first floor…

Kyumu: Don't worry, man. We'll get it back for you. We promise.

_They arrive at Amp Plains, and reach its midway point. Meanwhile, back in Treasure Town, Azurill and Marill explain to the Kecleon brothers about what happened, and when Dusknoir shows up, they have to explain it again. When they mention Amp Plains, Dusknoir's face blanches, and he rushes off in a panic._ _Meanwhile, Team Lovezors has reached the Amp Clearing. Lightning strikes nearby. Up ahead is the Water Float! But before they can get it, more lightning strikes!_

Kyumu: There it is! Let's get it and—WHOA!

Manectric: Why you here!? This; **our** territory! You no hide—We see you just…right…**there!**

_From behind a rock, two lights gleam! Figuring there's no use hiding, Kyumu and Vulpix face them._

Vulpix: Wh—who are you?

Manectric: Listen up. Me; Manectric, Electrike tribe leader!

_One moment they're not there, the next...In a lightning flash, Kyumu and Vulpix find themselves surrounded by the entire tribe! After an insane 9 vs. 2 fight, Team Lovezors somehow manages to win. Despite that, Manetric refuses to yield, and charges up all the electricity he has._

Manectric: Rrrroooaarr! You—you dare--!?

Vulpix: W-w—w-wait a second! We're not here to--!

Manectric: Shut up, liars! Take this!

_Manectric releases all his built-up electricity and blasts them! __But a second later, it appears that Dusknoir has taken the attack._

Dusknoir: STOP! They speak the truth. Though they trespass, they aren't here to conquer your land.

Manectric: Who you!?

Dusknoir: I am the world-famous Dusknoir! Your anger is reasonable, especially considering that this is the mutually beneficial ecosystem where you annually return for a safe haven. I understand completely! On behalf of these unwilling trespassers, I sincerely apologize! They mean no malice! We will leave you in peace as soon as our business is complete!

Manectric: Hmm…How you know us, Dusknoir? If you say they no harm…then me trust you. We allow you time. When we come back—be gone. Come, everyone.

_The tribe leaves for the moment. _

Kyumu and Vulpix: *pheeeeeewwee!*

Vulpix: Thank you, thank you, **thank you**, Sir Dusknoir! What else do you know about them?

Dusknoir: They're perpetual nomads. Incessant thunderstorms annually lash Amp Plains at this temporal period, and such discharges are mutually beneficial for them. But they were once ambushed here without warning…and endured an irreplaceable setback in their population…so it became an irrevocable mandate that they would preemptively strike at any unwilling trespassers.

Kyumu: Okay. I don't get what you just said, but it sounds right to me. Hey—hang on a second.

_Kyumu walks up to the Water Float and picks it up. Dusknoir confirms that it's correct._

Kyumu: But what's it doing **here?**

Dusknoir: I think someone deliberately placed it in this location for a specific purpose. You arranged this, didn't you…you craven scoundrels!! Reveal yourselves!

Skuntank: …......Chaw-haw-haw! U knew all along, huh? :-P

_Yup, Team Skull comes out of hiding._

Kyumu: **It's the haxor dudes! **Not you again…

Vulpix: It's the **meanie-butts!** Where **were** you, anyway?

Koffing: Who cares 'bout dat? We were hoping Manectric's crew'd totally haxor u…& then we'd jump in 2 pwn u after dat! :-)

Zubat: But no thanks 2 dis guy! He ain't "world-famous" if **we** don't know him!

Dusknoir: Shall we decisively settle this?

Skuntank (sweating): …Yeh, if it wuz just them Team Lovezors n00bs! Let's skedaddle, me lackeys!

_They flee._

Kyumu: For a bunch of haxor dudes, they never really do any haxoring.

Vulpix: I dunno if I'll ever forgive them…

Dusknoir: Those hypocrites sure are swift when it comes to…skedaddling. Come. Let's deliver this to the young brothers.

_Back in Treasure Town, at the Kecleon Market, Azurill and Marill thank then like crazy._

Vulpix: It's okay. If you wanna thank someone, thank Sir Dusknoir! He saved us!

Dusknoir: Oh, don't trouble yourselves. I'm delighted for you too.

Kecleon: Isn't that just like Sir Dusknoir? So modest! Aww… And Team Lovezors is so freaking awesome, too! When you pinpointed little Azurill and rescued him so quickly…you just redefined---

Vulpix: Actually…We sorta have a confession to make.

Kyumu: Yeah. It **would** be awesome if it did happen like that, but…I happened to see it in a vision.

Dusknoir: Excuse me? A vision? Can you elaborate further?

Vulpix: Oh, right! Maybe **you **know all about it!

Kyumu: See, I get dizzy whenever I touch someone or something and then I see things from the past or the future!

Dusknoir: WHAT!? Well, that's…that's…The Dimensional Scream!

Kyumu and Vulpix: WHAT!?

_They drag Dusknoir to the beach to ask him further and to show where Kyumu washed up._

Dusknoir: I see…so you discovered him unconscious at this very spot…but then he awoken and had amnesia?

Vulpix: Yeah, but he could still remember his name and how he was a human before!

Dusknoir: Wait, what!? A human!? But, but—your leader here is undeniably a Riolu in every physically apparent way at this moment! So how--?

Kyumu: **Huh**…I guess you don't know **everything **in the world, after all.

Dusknoir: Hmm…a human…with the Dimensional Scream…You're a Riolu, but your name is **not** Riolu, correct? Then what is it?

Kyumu: Oh yeah! I never told you. My name is Kyumu.

Dusknoir: *gasp!* I see. You're…Kyumu…

Kyumu: Dusknoir, my man…Do you know anything? Do ya? Do ya? Huh? Huh? Huh?

_Dusknoir suddenly turns around, only to provoke more pestering from Kyumu. Finally, he faces him again._

Dusknoir: …No. I wish I knew, but…Sorry about that.

Kyumu: Reeeeeeally? (Why's his eye all twitchy?)

Dusknoir: Seriously. Anyway, I do have information about the Dimensional Scream. It is unknown how it's learned or acquired, but sounds and objects slice across the boundaries of time, breaching objects and reaching into Pokémon to manifest as visions.

Kyumu: I see…I don't get it.

Dusknoir: Ha-ha-ha!…Well! You're not alone. To be honest, I can't stand knowing there is something I don't know! I offer you my complete assistance in helping you resolve the mystery of your transformation…Kyumu! Ha-ha-ha! Hoo-hoo-ha! Hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-ha!

Vulpix: Thank you so much, Sir Dusknoir! Isn't this awesome, Kyumu!?

_Kyumu, however, gets several huge chills down his spine. __But it doesn't last long—several Pelipper are suddenly flying overhead, distributing flyers. They all look up. After a few seconds, Bidoof comes running into them, out of breath. Worried, they all follow him to the guild. They end up at the Wanted Outlaws board, where everyone else is._

Chatot: Another Time Gear was stolen!

Sunflora: This time, it was from…Fogbound Lake.

Dusknoir: Wait just a moment! There was a Time Gear at Fogbound Lake!? Guildmaster--?

Wigglytuff (feeling miserable): Sir Dusknoir...I'm sorry. We swore to keep it a secret with Uxie.

Chatot: So a lone intruder slipped into Fogbound Lake…knocked out Uxie…and took the Time Gear. Shouldn't have done it for his own sake. Must've had no fear. Uxie's okay, though. Magnezone's squad is protecting him, just so you know. But according to his victim statement…the thief is…the thief is…

_He points to a poster in the center, and Kyumu, Vulpix, and Dusknoir move closer to see._

Vulpix: This Pokémon goes by the name of…Grovyle.

Kyumu: (So this is the guy…but if the most hardened criminals would never dream of touching the Time Gears…then…then…**who the heck IS he?**)

_Unbeknownst to everyone, Dusknoir chuckles again. Kyumu gets another unexplained chill._

Vulpix (feeling terrible): We promised Uxie not to tell anyone…but then this happens…

_Wigglytuff gets really angry, and suddenly, the place starts shaking! Luckily, it stops as quickly as it starts._

Wigglytuff: YOOM…TAH! Everyone, we must catch Grovyle, quickly, quickly! I swear it upon the name of Wigglytuff's guild, seriously!

Dusknoir: Wigglytuff, I believe I understand. I shall assist you.

Everyone: THANK YOU!!

Dusknoir: No, no! The honor is all mine!

Kyumu: (Finally…some action!)

_Everyone leaves. Later in the day, they reassemble at the ladders on the same floor. Chatot assigns the guild members to various locations, while sending Kyumu and Vulpix to the Northern Desert._

Vulpix: Are…are you sure? Me? In a desert?

Chatot: Yeah, yeah, I know, I know…**Just do it, okay!? Now go go GO!**

_They all leave, except for Team Lovezors and Dusknoir._

Dusknoir: That arid desert region is not only discouragingly voluminous in both width and depth, but harbors incessant sandstorms, too.

Kyumu (sarcastically): Ugh…joy.

Vulpix (dreading it): I could go for some sun…

Dusknoir: No necessity to harbor any anxiety. Even I must confront inhospitable terrain perpetually. Endure it, perform to the utmost extent of your bodily capacities, and persevere, okay?

Vulpix: Will do, Sir Dusknoir! Thank you!

_As they leave, Kyumu asks Vulpix something._

Kyumu: Why do you keep calling him "Sir"?

Vulpix: Show him some respect! He's so smart; I can barely understand what he's saying!

Kyumu: Yeah, well, I don't get what he's saying either, and you don't see ME…*grumble grumble*…

_They leave Treasure Town and venture through the Northern Desert, braving the sickening sandstorms. At the end, there's a weird-looking pit of quicksand. They stand at its edge, staring into it. Finding nothing, they go back, but not before Kyumu gets a weird feeling that he was there before. Back at the guild…no one found anything. When Bidoof mentions that he took a random crystal, everyone chews him out for being so selfish._

Dusknoir: I sincerely apologize. I believed those places…no. It's just my lack of knowledge.

Chatot: No, no, no! You can't blame yourself!

Dusknoir: …You're correct. New strategy tomorrow, everyone!

_Everyone eats dinner before going to bed. The next morning, everyone goes through the morning address and leaves. Dusknoir talks with Chatot to form a new plan. Kyumu can't shake the feeling he got at the Northern Desert and drags a reluctant Vulpix along, kicking and screaming. __They push through, up to the Northern Desert, and all across it…again. By the time they reach the quicksand pits, they both look around._

Vulpix: But it still seems like there's nothing here. Kyumu, are you sure—

Kyumu: I—I still feel it! I know I've been here before! And I'm pretty sure the only way forward is…down there.

_He points into the quicksand pit._

Vulpix: What!? Us!? Jump down there!? Are you—

Kyumu: Yes. I'm serious.

Vulpix: …......Okay. I believe you. After all…you were right before. But…*gulp*…

Kyumu: Remember, Vulpix? Be brave…and **just do it!**

Vulpix: Okay. Three…two…one…GO!

_They jump in, and the quicksand swallows them under! They land…in an underground cave with sand swirling from the ceiling._

Vulpix and Kyumu: Owowowowow…my back…my back…

Vulpix: You were right, Kyumu! You were right!

Kyumu: You see? You see?

_They venture through Quicksand Cave and reach the Underground Lake. Kyumu receives the exact same sensation as the one he felt when he saw a Time Gear for the first time. Suddenly, it turns dark!_

Mesprit: Who the heck are you people!?

Kyumu: We…uh…We…uh…

Mesprit: Just spit it out, okay!? Fine, I'll start. I'm Mesprit, the Underground Lake and Time Gear's official guardian. **YOU…SHALL…NOT…PASS!!**

_She fights them, even though they don't want to. As a result, she chases them around in circles so much that they have no choice but to attack her._

Mesprit: You…you…you…!

Kyumu: Shut up and listen! We're here to defend the Time Gear, not steal it!

Mesprit: Liar. Uxie told me that **you** stole the one from his lake! Didn't you? Didn't you!?

Vulpix: No, no, **that's** the lie! We swear!

Mesprit: Then who…?

Grovyle: That would probably be…me.

_It's him!_

Kyumu and Vulpix: G—g—g—**Grovyle!!!!**

Grovyle: Please forgive me. But I must have that Time Gear.

_He slashes out at Kyumu and Vulpix so fast they never see him coming! Mesprit blocks his way into the lake._

Grovyle: Stand aside.

Mesprit: N…no!

Grovyle: You leave me no choice.

_After knocking her out, he tries to proceed, but Kyumu and Vulpix block him._

Vulpix: No, wait! We can't…we can't let you destroy our world!!

Grovyle: Excuse me?

Kyumu: Grovyle, dude…Why the frack are you doing this?

Grovyle (at a loss for words): …......It's for your own good. I'm sorry…I know it's a stupid system. I don't mean to hurt any of you.

Kyumu: What do you mean, a "stupid sys—?"

_He slashes out at them and jumps into the water, swimming across to get the Time Gear! Vulpix blows several Flamethrowers at him, but she's too weak to aim properly._

Mesprit: I'm sorry…Uxie wasn't talking about you…He must have meant…**Him**.

_Almost as if on cue, Grovyle takes it! Several flashes ensue, then an earthquake…_

Mesprit: Whaddya you all just STANDING there for!? RUN FOR IT!

Vulpix: Wha—Why!?

_Huge sparks of lightning swarm the cavern, turning it all gray!_

Mesprit: We're gonna be trapped in time! C'mon! Let's move move move move MOVE!!!

_Since Kyumu and Vulpix aren't running fast enough, Mesprit grabs them both and flies to safety. Back at the guild…Magnezone assures everyone that Mesprit is okay before leaving. Everyone has to decide what to do next._

Chatot: …Are you saying what I fear? In the Northern Desert, there was a **Time Gea**r!?

Vulpix: Yeah, but…Grovyle stole it, and we couldn't even slow him down!

Kyumu: Now what do we do!?

Dusknoir: Utilize the clues and deduct from them, of course. Uxie, the being of knowledge, resided at a lake far above the ground, while Mesprit, the being of emotion, resided at a lake far below ground. But there are three of these legendary Pokémon in total. The final one is Azelf, the being of willpower…and he must reside in a lake somewhere where we least expect it.

_No one says anything for a while. They just stare at Dusknoir with their jaws dropping._

Dusknoir: …What?

Everyone (in total awe): WHOOOAAAA…Is there anything you DON'T know?

Dusknoir: Please…it's nothing.

Kyumu: Oh, that reminds me! Mesprit said that Uxie **told** her that his Time Gear was stolen!

Loudred: What? HOW?

Dusknoir: By telepathy, no doubt.

Sunflora: Hmm…If Kyumu and Vulpix found one in the desert…then…maybe there's one at either Eastern Forest or Crystal Cave!

Dusknoir: Ah, I have a hypothesis to test. Bidoof, may I borrow your crystal for a few minutes?

_Despite Bidoof's protests, Dusknoir picks it up and places it in front of Kyumu._

Dusknoir: Don't worry. It's just for a moment. Now, Kyumu…Please apply your arm to Bidoof's crystal.

Kyumu: Huh? Oh! Right right right.

_Everyone wants answers, so Vulpix goes into a lengthy explanation about it, including how it all started._

Everyone: WHOA!!

Sunflora: Oh…oh my gosh…can you really do that, Kyumu?

_They all stare at him as he touches the crystal. Three seconds. Six… Finally, it does happen, showing a scene of Grovyle facing Azelf on a crystal lakeside._

Kyumu: That was Grovyle and…and…was it Azelf!? He said five down…zero to go…

Everyone: WHAT!?

Chimecho: Did you see the past? Or the future?

Kyumu: Huh? Well jeez, I dunno.

Chatot: What!? So we may be too late!?

Dusknoir: Calm yourselves, everyone! Kyumu, you mentioned that Mesprit said that Uxie told her about the thief, right? Did she say anything about Azelf?

Kyumu: …No. Not at all.

Dusknoir: You see, everyone? It's extremely probable that she witnessed the future! One more thing. Her vision takes place in what sounds like…the Crystal Cave. It's our only option.

Chatot: Everyone, go to Crystal Cave, let's all! Guildmaster, if you may give the call?

_A few seconds pass. Wigglytuff doesn't move. Chatot's voice cracks as he tries to get his attention, but then Wigglytuff Hyper Voices right in his face, petrifying him with shock. On that note, they all head for Crystal Cave. Team Lovezors arrives and goes down as far as they can. Within its depths, they discover three differently-colored crystals sticking out of the ground, five times as tall as they are._

Vulpix: Hey…these crystals look kinda weird. But there's nowhere else to go, so…what if you—

_Kyumu reaches the top crystal first and touches it, hoping to receive a vision. He does._

Grovyle? : It says here, "Of the three spiritual elements, Azelf is the being of willpower. Everyone has willpower. So if all the crystal's colors were to match Azelf's spirit…the path ahead will be revealed."

Kyumu? : *sigh*…I hate riddles. But at least this one makes sense. It's blue, right?

_It ends._

Kyumu: That's it!

Vulpix: What's it?

_Kyumu runs around, touching all the crystals so that they all turn blue. As soon as that happens, the three crystals shoot blue electricity towards the center. In the center, purple electricity surrounds a giant crystal materializing from the center. It has an equally huge entryway._

Vulpix (stunned): ……How…?

Kyumu: That was so easy it was sad. I bet I didn't even need my Dimensional Scream.

_They enter and arrive at the Crystal Lake, then rush up to the peninsula in the center. Up ahead…_

Azelf: Ugh…Urgh…

Grovyle: Finally…Five down…Zero to go…

Azelf: No…you cannot take it…Never…

Kyumu: So it **was** in the future!

Vulpix: Kyumu! Is that Azelf!?

Kyumu: Shut up and hurry!!

_As they run up, Grovyle is about to dive underwater, and they're nowhere near catching him! Kyumu desperately shouts at the top of his lungs._

Kyumu: Grovyle! DON'T DO THIS, MAN!!!

Grovyle: What the—?

_That momentary distraction is all Azelf needs to set off his fail-safe system. His eyes glow, and a second later, a whole swarm of crystals cover the entire lake! Kyumu and Vulpix momentarily stop, stunned by it._

Grovyle: (Them again!? Why now!?) No…I absolutely **need** it…you….you…

Azelf: Uxie and Mesprit told me. I set up a fail-safe system just in case…Even if it means giving up my life…you will never…

Grovyle: You fool! I'll kill you! I'll—

_They run right up to and confront him._

Grovyle: You little kids again? Out of the way!

Vulpix: N-no! Make us!

Kyumu: "Little kid"!? My gosh, man, don't you know a teenager when you see one?

Grovyle: Same difference. I didn't want to do this, but if you get in my way…you must die!

_They fight, but just when they think they've won…Grovyle sends them all flying! Vulpix lands to the side, but Kyumu lands in the most dangerous place—right in front of him! And they can't move because he wounded them in the most critical places. They can't even speak!_

Grovyle: Out of the way!

Kyumu: (I… I can't…move…)

Vulpix (desperate): (No…not Kyumu…anyone but him…)

Grovyle (sharpening his leaf blades): No? Then…this is all for the future. Forgive me!

_Right as he moves in for the fatal blow, Dusknoir comes out of nowhere and takes it!_

Dusknoir: STOP!

Grovyle: N-no way! No…freakin'…way!

Dusknoir: Are you conscious, you two? Allow me to shoulder this.

_He smacks Grovyle backwards._

Grovyle: Rrrogh…**Dusknoir**…

Dusknoir: You would harbor the gall to murder two innocent young children? You really are as malevolent as they alleged. Anyway…it's been a lengthly temporal period since we previously clashed!

Grovyle: Wh—what are you…doing here…!?

Kyumu: (They know each other!?)

Dusknoir: You won't weasel to safety this time, Grovyle!

Grovyle: Dusknoir…I'm surprised to see you in this world…But I'll fight!

Dusknoir: So be it. But can you prevail? Against ME?

_Right as they are about to fight, Grovyle disappears!_

Kyumu and Vulpix: (Where'd he go!?)

Dusknoir: Curses! The craven scoundrel. There's no eluding ME!

_He vanishes, too! Kyumu and Vulpix can't take it anymore and faint. They wake up in their room._

Chimecho: They're awake, everyone! They're awake!

_Right as she says this, everyone comes rushing in and mobs them!_

Everyone: You're okay! You're okay! What happened? We thought you'd never—

Kyumu: Hey…I can move again!

Magnezone (from outside): ZZZT! Everyone in the Town Square! Dusknoir has a major announcement! Not just for the guild members, but for everyone! I repeat—Town Square! Got it!? ZZZT!

Vulpix: Let's go, Kyumu!

Corphish: Hey hey hey, don't push it…

To be continued…


	5. The Seven Plot Twists of Insanity

Chapter 5: The Seven Plot Twists of Insanity

_Town Square. Dusknoir is in the center of a massive crowd of Pokémon. Mesprit says something about "Alien Boy", but Kyumu can't ask her about it yet. Now everyone's assembled, and Magnezone lets Dusknoir speak. __He reveals Plot Twist #1: Grovyle is actually a Pokémon from the future!_

Dusknoir: Steel your minds. This all may be beyond your capacity for comprehension. In the world's future, he will be the most nefarious criminal ever. To elude arrest, he escaped into this world, the world of the past. He then plotted…until he conjured up the most catastrophic plan ever: **He would cause the planet to be paralyzed!**

Kyumu: (Planet—what? Uxie said something about a planet—where I came from…)

Dusknoir: All movement stops on paralyzed planets. As Time Gears are stolen, the time stops spread in ever-increasing areas. Eventually, the planet's rotation slows down so much that it entirely stops. And in a state of paralysis…no winds blow…the sun never moves…neither spring nor summer ever comes…and it becomes a world of darkness—forever. It is the complete end of the world.

Corphish: But, Sir Dusknoir! How'd you know all this?

_Plot Twist #2:_

Dusknoir: It's because…I too…am from the future.

Everyone: WHAT!?

Dusknoir: To capture Grovyle, I studied everything I could about this world. That is why I have a seemingly omniscient amount of knowledge.

Ursaring: Then why didn't you say anything about it!?

Dusknoir: I—I'm sorry. But think about this—what if I initially told you all this? Would any of you have believed me? Furthermore, it would be detrimental to alert Grovyle know to my presence.

Ursaring: Ugh…I see. Oops.

Magnezone: ZZZT! Anyway, we must capture Grovyle!

Everyone: Yeah! Me too! Lemme go! Lemme go with you! I wanna help!

_They all discuss everything, while Dusknoir and Uxie and friends come up with a plan._

Dusknoir: First, I'd like you to diffuse--I mean, spread--the word that Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf, has gone to seal the Time Gear for all eternity! Second, the trio must actually travel to Crystal Lake and **pretend** to seal it.

_They all discuss about who would be the first to capture Grovyle._

Dusknoir: I'm sorry…But for catching him, I must work alone. Grovyle is too wary to blunder straight into a raucous mob. If he sighted an unusual number of Pokémon in the area, he'd become suspicious. This time I hope to capture him without any mistakes. Please forgive my selfishness.

Chatot: So that's how it is, everyone! What a new leaf! This time, we'll assist Dusknoir instead of actually capturing the thief. Right, Guildmaster?

Wigglytuff: Righty right!

Chatot: Thank you. (Whew! He stayed awake!)

Dusknoir: Thank you for your help, everyone. Let's apprehend Grovyle no matter what!

_As everyone disperses to do their work and Dusknoir meets with Chatot to discuss the plan, Kyumu taps Uxie and friends on their shoulders and pulls them over to the side._

Kyumu: "Alien **Boy"??** Why not "Alien **Dude"?**

Mesprit (stifling laughter): That's the nickname Uxie made up for you. *heeheehee!*

Azelf: Alien in a good way, of course.

_He then leaves with Vulpix, his head absolutely spinning._

Narrator: And thus, Dusknoir and the trio of Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf set off for Crystal Cave. In the meantime, the others busied themselves diffusing--I mean, spreading--the rumors.

_Three mornings later, they arrive at Town Square at Officer Magnezone's call, where the rest of the villagers have gathered. There is a weird black-and-blue lined vortex in the middle. Bidoof almost steps through, but Magnezone pushes him out of the way. Then Loudred sees Dusknoir coming and yells at everyone to make way for these guys:_ _Two Sableye (one in front, one behind) are pushing a gagged and bound up Grovyle. Dusknoir is following. Everyone starts booing and throwing stuff at Grovyle._

Dusknoir: Silence, please! Good work, everyone. Thanks to you, you've helped me preserve your world!

Grovyle (shaking his head wildly): Mmmmph! Mmmmph! Mmmmph!

Kyumu: (Now that I look at him…Why do I get the feeling that he's trying to say something…really, really important?)

Dusknoir: But now it's imperative for me to return.

Vulpix: So you **are **going, Sir Dusknoir!

Sunflora: Ooogie…I hate sad goodbyes!

Dusknoir: Uxie, Mesprit, Azelf…I entrust you with the rest.

Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf: You can count on us!

_The Sableye kick Grovyle into the Dimensional Hole and follow him soon afterwards. Dusknoir proceeds to follow, but then stops to call for Kyumu and Vulpix to step up. They do. Everyone starts crying._

Vulpix: Goodbye, Sir Dusknoir! Thank you so much for…*sniff*…everything you did!

Kyumu: Yeah…Nice knowing you, man.

Dusknoir: Yes, this truly is goodbye…**Or is it?**

_The gigantic mouth on his stomach opens! Kyumu steps back, somehow realizing that this is Plot Twist #3._

Kyumu: *gasp*! Wait just a—!

_He tries to run away, but Dusknoir grabs him and Vulpix, who had no idea what was happening!_

Dusknoir: You children…are coming with ME! Hoo-hoo-hoo-ha-ha-ha!!

Kyumu: But I'm not a—

Vulpix: AAAAAAAH!!

_Before anyone can react, he drags Team Lovezors through the vortex! It promptly closes. As they fall though the time tunnel, Dusknoir is the only one who doesn't scream._

_A long time later, in total blackness, Kyumu tries to wake up, but he fails and __faints again. This world has many floating gray rocks crumbling apart. The sky is black, and nothing seems to be moving. In a mostly dilapidated tower, Dusknoir is standing over a pit, and inside it is…a gigantic being with glowing red eyes and orange stripes. He mentions something about "those who seek to alter the course of history shall be removed from history"._ _Meanwhile, Kyumu and Vulpix wake up and look around. They're in a room entirely composed of gray rocks. There's a locked set of doors in front of them._

Vulpix: I…I think it's a jail.

Kyumu: **A jail!?** But wh-why!? We didn't do—

_Kyumu tries to Force Palm the doors open, but they don't, obviously._

Kyumu: OW! OW! Owww…My hands…My hands…

_They pace around for a bit._

Kyumu: … ……I remember…Dusknoir's mouth on his stomach opened and…he grabbed us…and dragged us through the Dimensional—**Hey!**

Vulpix: Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute! We're in the future!?

Kyumu: Seems like it. But…I mean, I thought it'd be all awesome and…like, whoa! Why are we even here?

Vulpix: And how are we supposed to get back?

_Suddenly, the doors open, and six Sableye swarm in. Their eyes glisten creepily._

Sableye: They awake. How convenient. Okay. We do this quick.

_Before they can argue, the Sableye blindfold them and push them out of there. After several more minutes of pushing and shoving, the blindfolds come off to reveal Vulpix and Kyumu tied up to giant columns! Spotlights are trained on them._

Kyumu: Ow! Ow! My eyes! My eyes! Too…bright!

Grovyle: Humph. You two have no idea what's gonna happen, don't you?

Vulpix: Who--!?

_The spotlight reveals, to their right…_

Kyumu and Vulpix: Grovyle!!

Grovyle: Do you have any idea where you are?

Kyumu: Does it LOOK like we do?

Grovyle: This is a stockade. They want to get rid of us for good.

Vulpix: They? Get rid of--? Hang on a second! You're the bad guy here! But why us?

Kyumu: We didn't do anything!

Grovyle: Doesn't matter. You must've done something they couldn't stand. *sigh*… "Innocent little children", yeah right!

Kyumu: I'm not a kid!

Vulpix (angry): Wh-what!? We're not like you—

Grovyle: Shut up and look.

_All the lights come on and a door opens in front of them. Six Sableye strut out._

Kyumu: Who the frack **are** they?

Grovyle: They're Sableye; the jailers and Dusknoir's sadistic lackeys extraordinaire, idiot.

Sableye: Lord Dusknoir. Grovyle and two kids. Tied up. Yeah.

Dusknoir: Good.

Kyumu: AAAAGH! Why does everyone call us that!? I'm a teenager! Teenager!

Grovyle: It's the general rule that even if you're a teenager, they consider you a kid. Tough.

Vulpix: Sir Dusknoir! Sir Dusknoir! It's me, Vulpix! What are you doing to us!?

Dusknoir: Time to terminate them. Pay them no heed. Get ready.

_They surround the columns, sharpening their claws and muttering in morbid anticipation. Grovyle says that the only way for them to get out of this mess alive is to help him._

Grovyle: You there…the Riolu with the blue thing! What can you do right now?

_They figure out that a normal attack will do._

Sableye: …and when that done, shred them up, fine as dust! Okay! We ready!

Dusknoir: Very well. Monitor them shrewdly. Especially that Grovyle.

Sableye: Wheh-heh-heh!

_Dusknoir steps back as the Sableye step forward, eager to begin their morbid work._

Vulpix: No no no! Go away! Go away!

Grovyle: Listen. They love using Fury Swipes. If even one of their strikes were to hit us right here…

Kyumu: I see! *pfft* Wow…They really are stupid.

Vulpix: …B-but…what if they don't hit the ropes? …And what if they don't use Fury Swipes at all?

Grovyle: …Don't you **dare **think about it.

_Right when he says that, they strike in an absolutely sadistic frenzy!_

Kyumu and Vulpix: AAAAAAAUUUUGGGHH!!!

Grovyle: H—hang in there! Wait for it…wait for it…

_After an excruciatingly long while, all three of their ropes finally have breaks in them._

Grovyle: …Now!

_They headbutt the Sableye back! Half a second later, a bright flash of light explodes and fills the place._

Sableye: Yeaaargh! My-my eyes!

Dusknoir: Compose yourselves! It is but a Luminous Orb! Its effect wears off quickly!

_When the light clears, the three prisoners are gone! __Dusknoir and the Sableye leave the stadium in pursuit. A few seconds later, Grovyle, Kyumu, and Vulpix emerge from the ground._

Kyumu: I didn't know you knew Dig.

Vulpix: *Bleaggh!* *Hack hack* *cough cough*…Dirt tastes horrible…Next time, tell me when you're gonna do that, okay?

Grovyle: Well it's not like I could—Never mind. Let's get out of here.

_They leave using the same exit. Grovyle and Kyumu run at the same speed, but even though Vulpix has four legs, she can't seem to catch up with them._

Grovyle: Come on! This way! We need to keep moving or else they'll catch us! Faster! Faster!

Vulpix: THIS IS AS FAST AS I CAN GO!!! Quit bossing me around!

Kyumu: Yo, Grovyle. We in the future?

Grovyle: That's right. 500 years, in fact.

Vulpix: Can we go back!?

Grovyle: Who knows? If they catch you, that's the least of your worries. There's the exit! Hurry!

_They arrive outside. Plot Twist #4…_

Kyumu and Vulpix: WHAT THE-!?

Vulpix: This is…our world? In the future?

Kyumu: Why is it so dark? Why are the rocks floating!? This is....soooo…!

Vulpix: It's like…everything…stopped!

Grovyle: Exactly.

Sableye: Wheh-heh-heh!

Grovyle: Run for it!!

_After several more minutes of running through the dark wasteland of a world, they hide under a natural alcove to let Vulpix rest. She collapses._

Vulpix: *gasp*…*wheeze*…Uugh! I've never…ever…run that fast…in my life!

Kyumu: I really don't get how you're slower when you have more legs than me.

Grovyle: Let's get moving again soon.

Vulpix: Whoa-whoa-whoa! We only went with you because we had to escape, but you never said anything about afterwards! I can't trust you, you no-good thieving **evil**—

Grovyle: Humph! So if I'm the bad guy…then what does that make Dusknoir? I don't think what he just did was "good", don't you think?

Kyumu: …Hey, you're right!

Vulpix: Doesn't matter. I still can't trust you.

Grovyle: Jeez…You're hard to please. I thought I'd finally have allies, but…

_He turns around, clearly not wanting them to see his face as he remembers something long ago._

Grovyle: "There's no point in working together without trust." …That's what a good friend of mine once said. Anyway, I'm going. You should too. Good luck.

Vulpix: Hang on! Can't we wait until it's light outside? I can barely see anything—

Grovyle: I hate to break it to you, but…morning never comes.

Kyumu and Vulpix: WHAT!?

Grovyle: This world…your future…is a world of perpetual darkness.

Kyumu: Wait—so that means—the planet is paralyzed!?

Vulpix: But…how? We did everything right…

Grovyle: You're free to believe or reject what I just told you. But I'm going. Don't let those Sableye catch you. (And I've gotta get away from them, too...that Riolu's language reminds me of HIM...)

Kyumu: (How could it…still become paralyzed?)

_He leaves. After a long rest, Kyumu and Vulpix follow his path through the Chasm Cave. They reach the other side, where a fountain is embedded in the rock wall. After Kyumu takes a big, long drink, he finally notices what was weird about the water. It's not moving!_

Vulpix: So time really has stopped…Was Grovyle right after all? Why did Dusknoir bring us here? If only we could find out the truth…Hey! Kyumu! Shouldn't you be getting one of those Dimensional Scream vision thingies by now?

Kyumu: You're right, I should. Let me try again.

_He touches the fountain and waits for ten seconds. Twenty._

Vulpix: Well, Kyumu? See anything?

Kyumu (disappointed): ………………No. It's not working.

Vulpix: Oh…that really stinks…Anyway, we'd better get moving soon. Who knows when those creep-o's will catch up?

_They venture onward through Dark Hill and emerge at the top, which is a hill overlooking the vast expanse of darkness they just crossed. A cluster of lights is in the distance. Absolutely exhausted, they sit down._

Vulpix: You know, Kyumu…Sir Dusknoir saved us several times and taught us many things too…including your Dimensional Scream. I thought he was a good guy. But was all that…a trick? I can't believe it…I don't know what to believe anymore…

Kyumu: I do. Dusknoir was nice until he pulled us into this place. It doesn't look like we can trust him anymore…so why are you still calling him "Sir"?

Vulpix: Because! I just told you!

Kyumu: *sigh*…

Vulpix: …How far do we have to run? How can we get back home? And what about everyone at the guild…don't they miss us? I…I…*sob*…I want to go home!

_Kyumu thinks a bit more._

Kyumu: Vulpix? I've got an idea so crazy, it just might work. We CAN go home if we ask Grovyle! He came to our world from here, so maybe he knows the way back!

Vulpix: WHAAAAAT!? He's the bad guy! He came to steal the Time Gears and paralyze our world!

Kyumu: But think about this—we managed to stop him and return them to where they belong. If that would save us…the future wouldn't be like this at all! **Something** tells me that what Dusknoir told us was a total lie…and maybe Grovyle knows the truth!

Vulpix: I still can't trust him! But when you put it that way…I guess we have no choice.

_They start moving, but Vulpix stops for a bit._

Vulpix: Thanks, Kyumu. I worried all alone, and almost gave up alone, when in fact, you were here all along. I'll never give up again! (Is this...what true love...is really all about?)

_Now they leave via the straight-shot path that Grovyle took. They enter into the Sealed Ruin place. Meanwhile, Grovyle is almost at the end when a crazy Spiritomb jumps him! Eventually, Kyumu and Vulpix enter the same room. But some weird green-and-purple gooey thingy is pinning him to the ground!_

Grovyle: You two…Run!

Kyumu and Vulpix: Wh-what? Why!?

Grovyle: He…he is…**right…next…to…you!**

Kyumu: "He"? You mean** this** thing?

_Suddenly, the rock punches Kyumu and Vulpix backwards!_

Spiritomb: We are NOT…a THING! NO ONE who TRESSSSPASSES shall be forgiven! NO ONE! NO ONE!!

Vulpix: Ooww! Who **are **you!?

Spiritomb: We are…SSSSSPIRITOMB. We are a FUSION of spiritssss…

_His true form comes out of the rock!_

Spiritomb: One hundred and EIGHT of them!

Kyumu: One hundred and eight? Spirits? **You mean there are 108 of you!?**

Spiritomb: Yesssss…Now prepare…to be PUNISHED!!

_They fight. Although he's really really strong, he doesn't have a very long range. Kyumu and Vulpix just use long-range attacks to beat him. His face collapses back into the rock, and the gooeyness binding Grovyle also returns. The rock looks around before bouncing away. Kyumu and Vulpix run over to Grovyle._

Grovyle: What a weirdo…He went up my nose and—

Vulpix: EEEEWW!

Kyumu: Huh…So he **was** a bad Pokémon.

Grovyle: No he wasn't, you idiot. He was just cranky because we accidently disturbed him. In fact, he was so angry, he lost control of himself. But he gets scared really easily. You saw that. So are a lot of Pokémon in this future. They should be good, but they've become twisted because of this world's darkness. I, too, would've been like that…if I never met my best friend…

Vulpix: I see…That's so sad…

Grovyle: Hey! Do you two trust me now, or what?

Kyumu: Might as well.

Vulpix: Well…kinda…but…

Grovyle: Humph. Remember? "There's no point in working together without trust." See ya.

_He tries to leave, but Vulpix bites his tail leaves and stops him._

Vulpix: Wait wait wait! I didn't shay I don't trusht you! The trusth is…we need to know as much as we can. So can you tell ush your shide of the shtory?

Kyumu: I wanna know why you stole the Time Gears when no one else would!

Grovyle: So what if everything I say is a lie?

Kyumu: We don't care if there are plot twists **within **the plot twists! JUST TELL US, MAN!!!

Grovyle: Fine, fine…Sheesh. This way.

_They run for a long time, and soon enough, they stop under yet another natural alcove. Prepare yourselves for massive Plot Twist #5!_

Kyumu: So why is the planet paralyzed in the first place, anyway?

Grovyle: It dates back to 500 years ago…in other words, your time. It began with the collapse of Temporal Tower, which Dialga governs. He's the legendary Pokémon that controls time. But when the tower collapsed, time slowed down too much, and the planet became paralyzed.

Vulpix: And what happened to him?

Grovyle: He lost control. Now, in this future, the planet is fully paralyzed, and Dialga lost almost all his reason. He has become something completely different, a primordial presence called…Primal Dialga.

Kyumu: P…Primordial? Primal? Wha—?

Grovyle: He has no emotions, except that of self-preservation, so he does everything he can to prevent the future from changing. And that means…he wants to get rid of me. Because I traveled back in time to prevent the paralysis from ever happening. Because I tried to change history.

Kyumu and Vulpix: WHAT!?

Vulpix: But—but…that's **so** not what they told us! They said that you were stealing the Time Gears to paralyze our world! Weren't you? **Weren't you!?**

Kyumu: Yeah, and I thought the future would be…I dunno…more awesome, instead of…this.

Grovyle: You've got to be kidding me! I was **collecting** Time Gears because they needed to be placed in Temporal Tower in order to reverse its collapse! Okay, so it's true that time does stop in the area where a Time Gear is removed…but that's only temporary. Once they're placed in Temporal Tower, time would've been restored to normal everywhere. **I know.** **It's a really stupid system.** Don't ask me how I know, because I know.

Vulpix: But what about everything Sir Dusknoir said about you being the worst outlaw ever?

Kyumu: Let me guess. That was a flat-out lie.

Grovyle: What else? After all, Dusknoir really is an agent sent by Primal Dialga to get rid of me.

Vulpix: Sir Dusknoir—a bad guy? No way! **No way!**

_She tries to run back the way they came._

Vulpix: I've gotta see him. I want to make sure what you said was true.

Kyumu and Grovyle: WHAT!?

Grovyle: You idiot! That's suicide!

Vulpix: Then what the heck am I supposed to do!?

Grovyle: "What are you supposed to do?" **"What are you supposed to do!?"** Didn't you wonder about this earlier!? It's times like these where you have to be strong! Think for yourself…and act according to what you believe in! **That's** what you're supposed to do.

_Then he turns to leave in the way he was originally going._

Kyumu: Hey, Grovyle! Where are **you** going?

Grovyle: I'm going back to the past again to save this future…and for that, I need to find Celebi. You two can come with me or not. Decide for yourselves. See ya.

_He leaves._

Kyumu: …He's right, you know. Everything he said makes sense.

Vulpix: …You're right, Kyumu. You're right. As long as he's dosen't do any bad things, let's follow him...and go back home!

_They run after him as fast as they can and eventually reach a dark-looking forest._

Kyumu: (Not again…Why does it feel like I've…been here before, too?)

Grovyle: This is Dusk Forest. You can see how it got its name. Celebi should be here somewhere.

Vulpix: Yeah, who is Celebi, anyway?

Grovyle: Celebi is the legendary Time Travel Pokémon. She can cross time. Okay, so maybe she's a little…**weird**…but anyway, she allowed me to go into the past in the first place.

Kyumu: So we can go home if we find her!?

Grovyle: Yeah, but…since she's also helping reshape history…Let's go. Right now.

_As they proceed, a Sableye is spying on them! Despite that ominous note, the three of them continue through the forest and reach its deepest part._

Grovyle (yelling as loud as he can): HELLOOOOO! CELEBI! YOU HERE!? IT'S ME, GROVYLE!!

_They wait for a while._

Vulpix (really frightened): …What if…What if he captured her!?

Celebi: Captured?

Kyumu and Vulpix: (Where's that voice coming from!?)

Celebi: Me? Captured? You've gotta be kidding me!

_Celebi materializes out of thin air right in front of Grovyle! Kyumu and Vulpix are totally stunned._

Vulpix (staring in disbelief): …………...This…tiny thing…is Celebi?

Celebi: HEY! I'm not **that **tiny, **or** a "thing"!

Vulpix: I-I'm sorry! It's just that…Grovyle said you could cross time…so I thought…you'd be some gigantic super-strong…awesome Pokémon…

Celebi: My gosh, sister, what part of "never judge someone by what they look like" do you not understand!?

Kyumu: Yeah, well, we tried that with Dusknoir. Now look at us.

Celebi (happy again): But…that's fine. After all, I must be cuter and more awesome than you thought!

_She winks at Kyumu, who feels weirded out. Vulpix glares at Celebi in jealousy. __Before any more weirdness can ensue, Grovyle steps forward and explains his predicament._

Celebi: I know, Grovyle. You failed back there, right? Don't worry. I'll help you. Besides, if you **do **succeed, we'll finally be spared of this agonizing world. My dear Grovyle, I will devote my whole life to it no matter what!

Grovyle: Good. Where's the Passage of Time?

Celebi: Right up there. Are all three of you going?

Kyumu: Totally!

_Upon hearing that, Celebi flies in closer to get a good look at Kyumu's eyes._

Kyumu: What? What is it? Hey! Not that close! HEY!

Celebi: ……………No. No, it can't be…Those eyes…the very same eyes…

_Finally, she moves back. Grovyle looks back and forth between them._

Grovyle: Celebi? What is it?

Celebi: (He doesn't know?) …Never mind. It's nothing. Well then, shall we go?

_They venture forward._

Vulpix: What **is** the Passage of Time anyway?

Celebi: I use it to travel through time, of course. For short trips, I can transport myself. But for big trips that span for generations, in this case, 500 years, I use it. Oh! It's right after this forest.

_As Grovyle and Vulpix settle down and discuss things some more, Celebi flies up to Kyumu._

Celebi: Hi, hi! So listen. Did you know that Grovyle is really impatient and hasty?

Kyumu: Really? He seems to be pretty cool to me…

Celebi: Anyway, I wish he'd slow down a little…I'd like to spend as much time as I can with him…

_She turns around and looks back, suddenly embarrassed._

Celebi: Uh...wait! That wasn't how I'd meant it! Not at all! I don't have any special feelings for him or anything! It-it's a secret, okay!?

Kyumu: *ppft*…

Grovyle (mock drama): I HEARD THAT!!

Vulpix: Uh…yeah. Me too.

Celebi: What!?

_Soon enough, everyone's laughing like crazy. Celebi flies around smacking them, but they barely notice the blows because they're convulsing with laughter. Eventually, they get moving across the Deep Dusk Forest towards the high plateau the Passage is on. The Passage is a glowing blue door set into a cliff wall. They move toward it._

Grovyle: That's it. Celebi, only you can open it.

Celebi: My pleasure…If you all apologize for laughing at me.

Grovyle, Kyumu, and Vulpix: Uugh…Okay, okay. We're sorry.

Dusknoir: HALT!!

Vulpix: It—it can't be…

_Suddenly, standing in front of the Passage of Time…is Dusknoir! (How'd he get there so fast?)_

Vulpix and Grovyle: Dusknoir…!

Dusknoir: Miniscule rodents…Sad to say that your scurrying ceases immediately.

_The entire Sableye squad surrounds them, too!_

Grovyle: Humph. You let us run free, but right before we reach the Passage of Time, you **"happen"** to ambush us…**and** Celebi, huh? …That is so very, very, **you**…

Kyumu: What!? They followed us the **whole **time!?

Grovyle: I didn't see this coming. Sorry, Celebi.

Celebi: You're not the type to apologize, dearie Grovyle! Remember? I—can't—be—caught!

Dusknoir: You wish to resist? Spare yourselves. It'll be futile.

Grovyle: We won't know…until we try! Dusknoir! You and me—now!

Dusknoir: Ingenuously stupid Grovyle. I wouldn't dare ambush in solitude. Master Dialga! NOW!

_Everything turns pitch black!_

Kyumu: Dude! Who turned out the lights!?

Dialga: GRRRR-OOOOOOOOOH!

_On top of the cliff that the Passage is inset into is…Primal Dialga!_

Grovyle (face blanching): Not again! That…that's…that's…Primal…Dialga!

Kyumu and Vulpix: PRIMAL DIALGA!?

Dusknoir: Where'd your bravado skedaddle off to now, Grovyle?

Vulpix: Aren't we gonna fight!?

Grovyle: No…Dusknoir by himself is one thing…but Primal Dialga is practically…**immortal!** You two have done so well…I'm sorry…

_He steps forward._

Grovyle: Dusknoir. I give up. Do what you want with me.

Dusknoir: Oh? It's not like you to surrender that easily.

Grovyle: I know. But there's still hope. Celebi, you remember…that last time, when I traveled to the past…I wasn't alone. I came with my best friend.

Kyumu and Vulpix: WHAT!? You never told us that!!

Grovyle: That's right. We traveled together…but we were separated. He should still be back there. Even if I die…He will see our mission through to the end. That's just how he is. I know it. **I know it.**

Dusknoir: ………………………Ha! Hoo-hoo-ha! Mua-hahahahahaha!

Grovyle (suddenly suspicious): Wh—what's so funny?

Celebi (face blanching): (I think I know where this is going...)

Dusknoir: Incidentally…what **was **his name, anyway? Go on. Say the name.

Grovyle: Don't you already know that?

Dusknoir: I just wish to ascertain if you've forgotten already.

Grovyle: I didn't forget! His name is Kyumu.

_That was Plot Twist #6! It momentarily paralyzes Kyumu and Vulpix._

Kyumu: **ME!?**

Grovyle: What!? **You're** Kyumu!? Whoa—No way. The Kyumu I know isn't a Riolu. He's a human.

_Kyumu and Vulpix's hearts practically jump a mile in the air. That's how shocked they were._

Kyumu: It **IS** me!!

Dusknoir: Hoo-hoo-hoo-ha-ha-ha!! Exactly! Grovyle, my good fellow, that "Riolu" IS your best friend Kyumu! Inquire me how I know.

Kyumu, Vulpix, and Grovyle: H-h-how?

Dusknoir (smirking): Because…

_Flashbacks galore, along with the final Plot Twist #7._

Dusknoir: At one time, I encountered the ludicrously named Team Lovezors. I believed they were merely innocuous miniscule kinda-pubescent children, and didn't suspect anything at the time…But when they mentioned the Dimensional Scream, I was skeptical at first, but I decided to inquire them, and…I found that he was a former human with no memories…and when I found out his name…There was no doubt! I'd been seeking **him** all along!

_Back to now._

Dusknoir: Must've been because of your time-traveling…**accident**. Lucky for me that amnesia afflicted him! After all, Kyumu, if you didn't…**you would've instantly recognized me, you…inferior being! **Muahahaha!

Kyumu (filling with sickening dread): N-no…I…I...

Dusknoir: Team Lovezors, it was sickeningly simple to obtain your trust, you naïve fools. And it was also obscenely facile to drag you into the future when the time came…so I could fulfill Master Dialga's mission to terminate you all!

Vulpix (starting to cry): No…You really were lying! So you only saved us because it was **before** you found out who Kyumu really was! But why do you want to kill me too?

Duksnoir: Hah! No way I'll reveal that! So anyway, Grovyle, that left you to complete the mission. Alone.

Kyumu: (I was a human from the future!? I was Grovyle's best friend…trying to save the world!? Please tell me this is a dream! This IS a dream, right!?)

Dusknoir: Grovyle and Kyumu! After five long years, here is where everything terminates…for you! Ha-ha-ha-hoo-hoo-ha! (Man, I just LOVE laughing so evilly!)

Sableye: Wheh-heh-heh! Chop 'em up! Chop 'em up! Yes yes yes!

_Here they come! All those revelations are made even more painful under Primal Dialga's watchful glare._

Vulpix: Grovyle! Kyumu! We can't give up!

Grovyle: But what…can we do…?

Vulpix: Think of something, anything! …I know! Hey, Celebi! Can your time-traveling ability **warp **us to the Passage of Time? It's like, right there!

Celebi: It won't be easy with Dialga here. He controls time itself! He's gonna expose it.

Vulpix: JUST DO IT!!!

Dusknoir: ATTACK!

_Right as the Sableye attack, the four heroes disappear. Primal Dialga roars and uses his time-manipulating woolah-woolah to shatter Celebi's time-space path. The group is suddenly right in front of the Passage of Time. (Did I really just say "woolah-woolah"?) Celebi__ pushes the three of them into the Passage with a surprising amount of force._

Dusknoir: GET THEM!!

_Right as they're about to reach Celebi, she emits a blinding flash of light. When the light clears, the only thing left of the Passage is just a tiny ball of crackling light. Kyumu, Vulpix, and Grovyle all fall through back into the past._

Kyumu and Vulpix: WAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!

To be continued…


	6. Kyumu's Past

Chapter 6: Kyumu's Past

_They are all sprawled out on the beach, unconscious. Kyumu wakes up first, then Vulpix. They look around and blink for a few seconds before realizing where they are._

Kyumu and Vulpix:** We're back! We're back! We're BAAAAAAAACK!**

_They jump up and down, screaming with joy at being able to make it out of that place. Grovyle slowly wakes up and watches them for a while before speaking._

Grovyle: Wh—where are we…?

Vulpix: Look, look—this is where I met Kyumu! Right…here!

_She runs up to the exact spot and taps it with her paw._

Grovyle: So that's what happened. I was sent into the Eastern Forest. So we were far away…

Vulpix: Hey Grovyle! There's still a lot I need you to explain—but here's not a good place. Let's go to Wigglytuff's Guild!

Grovyle: Hang on, hang on. Aren't I still the worst criminal ever here?

Kyumu: D'oh! You're right…I forgot…

Vulpix: What should we do? …Oh, I know! But we'll have to go through Treasure Town…

Grovyle: It shouldn't be a problem if we keep a low profile. Lead the way.

Kyumu: (What's Vulpix talking about?)

_They go through Treasure Town, with Grovyle crawling low to the ground. Kyumu and Vulpix protect him from view from all angles. They arrive at…a seaside cliff shaped like a Sharpedo? She walks up to a bush and moves it out of the way, revealing a set of stairs._

Vulpix: It's down here. I lived here before joining the guild.

Kyumu (looking down the cliff): Jeez, Vulpix…Aren't you a **Fire-type?** How could you live here if—?

Vulpix: Hee-hee. It's actually not that bad. C'mon! Go on in!

_They go downstairs into a hollow chamber in the cliff face and decided to stay there. __When night comes, they make a campfire, but they keep it on Vulpix's side because she likes it best. Now, sitting in a circle, they're ready to discuss things._

Grovyle: But Kyumu…I never expected you to be the very same Kyumu…I mean, I'm actually taller than you for once…

Kyumu: ………………Yeah, sorry about that whole "I thought you were a bad guy" thing.

Vulpix: Grovyle, can you tell us more about that?

Grovyle: Yes, Kyumu and I were the best of friends. We were investigating the planet's paralysis, using his Dimensional Scream. But it only works under two conditions; one, it only works on places tied to Time Gears, and two; it also only works in the presence of a trusted friend. That's why we worked together. With it, we were able to find out where the Time Gears were.

Vulpix: Then why was it set off after we met?

Grovyle: Well, since he got amnesia, and you were the first to meet him, I'd say you earned each other's mutual trust pretty quickly. Right, Kyumu?

Kyumu: Well, when you put it that way…It's actually kinda embarrassing!

Vulpix (winking): Hee-hee!

Kyumu: But I got visions in places that had nothing to do with Time Gears, too! Like that time with Drowzee…and the waterfall…and…

Grovyle: Huh…I guess it works differently in the past than the future.

Kyumu: (Maybe that's why it didn't work on that frozen water…)

Grovyle: So after we found where they were, we took the Passage of Time. But on the way, we encountered some sort of turbulence, and we were separated. Maybe it was because of that that he turned into a Riolu **AND** lost his memory.

Kyumu: That reminds me…Dusknoir did a lousy job of this, so…Can you tell me what I was like back then? Like, exactly where I came from, when you met me, why weren't there any other humans in the future…and anything else?

Grovyle: Okay. But this could be long…

_He takes a deep breath first. (You may notice that this origin story is eerily similar to the ones for Kana Amara and Amy. Hey, you can't mess with a classic!)_

Grovyle: They say that one day, a spaceship came from the sky, dumped seven humans into our world, then left as fast as it came. Now those humans…I don't know what they were doing, but it made Primal Dialga really mad. You were among those seven, although you were the youngest, about five years old. Then four years later (according to them) I was just a Treecko when I met you. We had lots of fun…but your parents didn't like me very much.

Vulpix: I thought only baby Pokémon like Cleffa and Igglybuff needed parents…

Grovyle: Yeah, well, apparently Kyumu needed them too. When Primal Dialga realized they were trying to give themselves the Dimensional Scream, he sent out to execute them all. I imagine that's why they were booted out of the spaceship in the first place, too. Dusknoir took all seven of them to the stockade and executed them one by one…but I couldn't let them do that to Kyumu, too. Good thing they saved him for last, though--otherwise, I wouldn't have made it in time. Right when I reached him, I evolved, slashed the ropes, and got him out of there.

Kyumu: Wh—whoa…so I was the last living human, huh?

Grovyle: I think they made you watch, because you were really scarred. But then your Dimensional Scream ability worked for the first time, and by then, we decided to find out the truth. Over the course of the next five years, we traveled around the world, solving puzzles, finding out where the Time Gears were, and running away from Dusknoir. We even got lots of help from Celebi. And because you hated how everyone was betraying each other, you said "There's no point in working together without trust." So that became our motto, and now you know. I still think it's weird that we went into the past right on your 14th birthday.

Kyumu: …So that's how…!

_He explains all the weird feelings he felt at places with Time Gears, when he actually saw a Time Gear, that chill he felt from Dusknoir's laugh, etc._

Grovyle: Oh, I get it! It's muscle memory! Even when your conscious memories were erased…your body still remembers everything!

Vulpix: So that's why…Muscle memory! Who knew?

Kyumu: I did come from another planet after all…in the future! Uxie said that humans didn't have interplanetary travel yet, but 500 years in the future…!

Vulpix: Uugh…My head…

Kyumu: I know…It feels like our brains are gonna explode…

Grovyle: Speak for yourselves. This is all ancient history for me.

_They sit down, trying to take it all in._

Grovyle (unusually sentimental): So Kyumu, you have NO idea how worried I was about you when we were separated. You're appearance may have changed…and you may have lost your memory…but despite that, you're still you. Oh, Kyumu. I'm so glad you're still my best friend…and that I could see you again.

Kyumu: ……………… (Jeez, I really wish I could remember everything…)

Grovyle: But enough about us. What about you two?

_Vulpix explains everything that happened to them, from her meeting Kyumu on the beach, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. _

Grovyle: "Team Lovezors"? *Pfft*…

Kyumu: Heeeey…Could **you** think of anything better?

_It's really long. By the end..._

Kyumu: *Yawwwwn*…Good night, everyone…

_He falls asleep on the spot, so Vulpix puts out the fire and Grovyle sets up the beds. Then they fall asleep too. They're so tired they sleep in through the sunrise, the next day, and the next night! But by morning, Grovyle wakes up and finds that Vulpix isn't there. He climbs up the stairs and finds Vulpix at the cliff's edge, gazing out into the ocean. _

Grovyle: What's wrong? Can't sleep?

Vulpix: I'm fine. It's just that…I think we slept for two nights straight!

Grovyle (a bit shocked): Oh…Anyway, why are you here?

Vulpix: Just thinking about everything. Basically, what you told us about you and Kyumu…stuff like that. Oh! It's morning already!

_The sky begins to lighten, and the two of them move to the cliff's edge to see the sun peeking through the mountains._

Vulpix: Wooooww…After being in that future for so long…Wow! This is…Wow! The sun rises…then it sets…We all take that for granted, and that's only natural. But it's things like those…that are the most precious.

Grovyle: All I'd ever known was the future's world of darkness…So when I came here and saw the sunrise for the first time…Yeah. It was staggering. And it was right then that I knew…I just **knew**…that we had to turn history away from darkness no matter what.

_That explanation was so deep, Vulpix can't think of anything to say and just stands there in awe._

Grovyle: One more thing, Vulpix. You know that time they ambushed us? Frankly, we had absolutely zero chance of winning, or even getting out of there alive. But despite all that…you didn't give up. Even I gave up. How'd you manage to do that?

Vulpix: Huh…I have no idea…But maybe…Maybe it was because Kyumu was right there with me…

Grovyle: Kyumu? Really…

Vulpix: Yeah. I told you about how I made an exploration team with him. But I didn't tell you that before we met, I was too scared to even apply! With him, though, I felt like I could face anything…Just like that time, and that time, and all those other times…

Grovyle: …That makes sense. He really does make others feel that way. The same reason why he was my best friend…You feel that same way about him too, don't you?

Vulpix: Yeah! All my life, I was looking for my prince…and all this time, he was right in front of me…

_Grovyle imagines everything Vulpix and Kyumu told him, but most especially, he pictures all the fun times they had together; going on explorations, making new poses, bickering, forgiving, Vulpix bouncing around the Hot Springs while Kyumu enjoying it…_

Grovyle: Kyumu is…lucky…to be blessed with a friend like you…

Vulpix: Thanks for being his best friend…all the way back then…

_They stand and watch the sunrise, then come down a few minutes later to wake up Kyumu. Now they gather in a circle for a meeting._

Grovyle: Okay. We agreed that we were going to collect the Time Gears again. Let's get the one at Treeshroud Forest. Is that okay with you both?

Kyumu and Vulpix: Yep! (At least there's no one like Mesprit guarding it!)

_They go there. _

Kyumu: H-hey! I've been here before! …I think.

Grovyle: Yes we have. We came here in the future and your Dimensional Scream found it here.

Vulpix: But—I thought you lost your memories—

Grovyle: Not **muscle** memory. Remember?

Kyumu: …So that's why I felt like we've already been to Fogbound Lake and the desert and Crystal Cave! And those were our voices! We solved those puzzles then, didn't we, Grovyle?

Grovyle: You catch on fast. Of course, we were in dilapidated versions of them, but…huh?

Vulpix: What is it?

Grovyle: The air here feels different…never mind. Let's go.

_When the reach the Time Gear, they're shocked to see that everything is still gray!_

Kyumu, Vulpix, and Grovyle: **What the--!?**

Vulpix: Time is still frozen here!? But—but---It's still there…

Grovyle: ………………………...Meh.

_He takes it!_

Kyumu and Vulpix: AAAAAAAAH!! Wh—what are you—

Grovyle: Calm down. It's not like it'll make any difference. What I'm more worried about is why time was still frozen here. Vulpix, when we get back, I'd like you find out what's going on. But keep a low profile, okay?

Vulpix: Got it. Wouldn't want an uproar since they think we're stuck in the future.

_When they go back to Sharpedo Bluff, Grovyle and Kyumu wait while Vulpix goes to Treasure Town. Soon, she comes back._

Vulpix: I'm back. Here's the word. After we fell into the future, Uxie and friends put the Time Gears back to their places. Everyone was happy because they thought time would go back to normal. But…time was still stopped in those places. Even worse, it's spreading. Everyone's upset because they can't figure out what's wrong.

Grovyle: ……………It can only mean one thing. Temporal Tower is starting to collapse. This is bad. This is really, really bad.

Kyumu: Really really bad?

Grovyle: That's right. We have to hurry. Otherwise, the planet will be fully paralyzed. I told you we needed to place the Time Gears in Temporal Tower. Problem is, it's in a place called the Hidden Land. From the future, we were just there, but from this time...Anyway, we should split up. I'll find the Time Gears, while you two find the Hidden Land.

Vulpix: Understood. Is that okay with you, Kyumu?

Kyumu: Yeah…I guess.

Grovyle: Anyway, since no one's discovered it yet, we have to assume it's far away. Maybe it's across the sea—who knows? I don't.

Kyumu: *sigh*…Joy.

_He leaves. Eventually, they decide to go to the beach and face the ocean._

Kyumu: …………Uh…So exactly **how** the frack do we cross the sea?

Vulpix: …Nngh…..Why does all this water stuff keep happening to me!? That's it! We need everyone's help.

Kyumu: "Everyone"? Who's everyone?

Vulpix: Kyumuuuuu…You forgot the guild already?

Kyumu: WHAT!? Why them!? They're just gonna think we're big fat liars!

Vulpix: We wom't know until we try! I'm sure everyone misses us—a lot. But no matter what, we need everyone's help, or else…or else…**we'll run out of time! **

Kyumu: ………………..Fine, fine. (Sure we will. Suuuuure.)

_The guild. Evening. Again._

Kyumu: Well, here we are. Hope you're happy. *grumble grumble*….

Vulpix: Nngh…Don't rub it in… (This is sooo awkward…) Fine. I'll go first.

_She stands above the wood grating. Soon enough, the ground starts rumbling and the gate opens. A stampede can be heard. Everyone comes out and swarms them. __Suddenly, they all stop and step to the side as Chatot and Wigglytuff come out and meet them. On the lower basement level, everyone's gathered in a circle to hear Kyumu and Vulpix's story. When they finish, Chatot asks if what they said was really true and they say so._

Chatot (laughing): ………………Hee! Hee! Hee! Hee-heeeeee! Hee-heeeeee! Hee-heeeeee! Hee—You **can't** be ad-libbing. You two, that is a one-hundred percent load of…! ...Fibbing.

Kyumu and Vulpix: **WHAT!?**

Chatot: Now go to your room and get some rest, okay? I'm sure you were tired when you were away.

Kyumu: N-now wait just a minute!

Vulpix: We're telling the truth! You've gotta believe us!

Chatot (finally angry): Shut up already! Do you really think anything you said was even **remotely** believable!? The great Dusknoir, a bad guy, and thieving Grovyle, a good guy? Absolutely inconceivable!

Kyumu (ranting and showing "scratch scars"): Inconceivable? **Inconceivable!?** We've been thrown in jail, tortured, almost shredded to pieces by **flesh-eating sadistic Sableye**, chased by Dusknoir, thrown off cliffs, learned about the future, totally ambushed, almost crushed by the whole freakin' army and Primal Dialga, and barely made back here!! We could've been stuck in that crappy place forever, or worse, DIED! But Grovyle helped us all get out AND he told me about my past!!! Without him, no one would ever see us again!! You see!? YOU SEE!?

_Everyone stares at Kyumu in awe for several seconds. Then they all enthusiastically affirm that they believe him no matter what, to Vulpix's great relief._

Wigglytuff: Well! So it looks like we all agree! Even Chatot!

Everyone: HUH!? Even CHATOT!?

Wigglytuff: Yup. You **did **believe them all along…right, Chatot?

Chatot: ….Hee! Hee! Hee! Hee-heeeeee! Well, okay. There's no fooling anyone today. I believed them in my heart right from the start!

Everyone: HUH!? REALLY!?

Chatot (clearly making this up): I just wanted to…uh…test your friendship! Yeah!

Loudred: What the…?

Kyumu and Vulpix: Riiiiigggght……..

Sunflora: Says you…

Wigglytuff: Everyone! Now we know why time is stopping in more and more places insanely! Let's let everyone know about the truth…Uxie and friends, especially! In the name of Wigglytuff's Guild…Let's all find the Hidden Land for Vulpix and Kyumu! YOOM…TAH!

_Since Wigglytuff Hyper Voiced in his face, Chatot is as stone-still as last time. When they talk about what they're gonna do next, Wigglytuff pulls them aside._

Wigglytuff: I heard that Torkoal, the wise elder, might know something worthy. He's always at the famous Hot Springy.

Kyumu: Oh yeah! That guy!

Vulpix (suddenly paleing): You mean…?

Chimecho: Everyone! Time for dinner!

_And on that note…they all run to the mess hall. _

Kyumu and Vulpix: Finally! Real FOOOOOOOOOOD!!

_They eat their first real meal in days, though it feels like it was in decades. After dinner, Kyumu and Vulpix run to their old room, grateful to be there after such a long absence. They're so grateful, in fact, that they start bouncing on the beds and start pillow-fighting like they did on their first day! The next morning after the morning address, they run straight to the Hot Springs. Torkoal sees them and chuckles to himself._

Kyumu: YAAAAAY! HOT SPRINGS HOT SPRINGS HOT SPRINGS HOT SPRINGS—

Vulpix: Not again…*grumble grumble*…

Kyumu: CANNONBALL!!!!

_Vulpix just sits on the pool's edge and stares romantically while Kyumu keeps going in and out, in and out, trying out all kinds of dives. After he swims a lot more, he finally gets out. They talk to Torkoal and find that only the chosen may enter the Hidden Land, and those chosen need some kind of proof. However, he has amnesia too, and forgets everything else. When evening comes, Team Lovezors returns to the guild. No one reports any progress. They have dinner and go to bed. The next morning, Torkoal arrives to catch up with Team Lovezors. He's panting and wheezing._

Torkoal: Finally…*huff huff*…Climbing up here is so hard on the ol' bones…

Vulpix: Did you remember something, Mr. Torkoal!?

Torkoal: Indeed. I'm afraid it's only one tiny thing, but…Here it is. The proof…bears an inscription of a certain pattern.

Kyumu: (A certain pattern, huh?) …Vulpix! Your Relic Fragment!

Vulpix: Oh, wait, you mean--!?

_Vulpix places her precious rock in front of Torkoal._

Torkoal: Oh! This is it! This…is…it!

Everyone: WHAT!?

Torkoal: W-where did you get this!?

Vulpix: I don't remember…it was so long ago…but does that mean **I** can go there!?

Torkoal: Hmm…I don't know. Maybe yes, maybe no. Just because you have it doesn't mean you're the chosen one. It's probably just the physical key. Wait…You're really trying to find a place only in spoken legend?

Wigglytuff: Yep! Chatot…we've seen something like this before, haven't we?

Everyone: WHAT!?

Chatot (clearly spooked): Y-yeah…Inside…Brine…Cave…

Wigglytuff: Everyone, it's true. I once saw this same pattern in Brine Cave while going right through. We should take the Relic Fragment there. But…problem is…there's a vicious bandit in there somewhere…

_They all agree to go anyway._

Torkoal: Hohoho! And here I thought it was just folklore!

_Chatot pesters Wigglytuff to let him help out with the mission._

Wigglytuff: …All righty. But you're going with Team Lovezors tomorrow, okee-dokie? I have something I need to do, so I'll be outta herie. Chatot, you're in charge right nowwie.

_Meanwhile, Torkoal is walking back when he's suddenly ambushed by Team Skull! They knock him down and push him aside along with them. Meanwhile, Team Lovezors goes to Sharpedo Bluff and finds a note._

Vulpix: Let me read it. "To Kyumu and Vulpix: How's your search for the Hidden Land? My end's awesome. Three down, two to go. I'll join you when I get all five. Azelf and friends told me your guild friends let them know I was coming. Thanks. Finally, more Pokémon are understanding and helping us. But I'll still stay away from Treasure Town and the guild just in case of Dusknoir."

Kyumu: What the freak!? **Dusknoir!?**

Vulpix: "Since he might be coming, we should keep a low profile. I might come back to Sharpedo Bluff or the beach. Let's exchange info if we meet. Good luck on your end. Together, we will stop the planet's paralysis no matter what. –From Grovyle."

Kyumu: …We'd better not fail on our end…

Vulpix: Let's check the beach, just in case.

To be continued…


	7. The Eight Final Confessions

Chapter 7: The Eight Final Confessions

_Grovyle isn't at the beach yet. They're about to go back when Vulpix points to a strange Pokémon in the distance, sailing on the sea in front of the setting sun. They look at each other, then realize that this is the way they can cross the sea! __They run along the coast, trying to intercept where the Pokémon might arrive. Meanwhile, watching them from behind the rocks is Team Skull, finding out that they really are trying to find the Hidden Land. They scheme something involving stealing treasure before leaving. Team Lovezors, predictably, lost that sailing Pokémon and go back to the guild. During the night, however, Wigglytuff walks far away to an icy island. He's meeting with that sailing Pokémon, Lapras! The next day, during the morning report…_

Chatot: Ahem! Since the Guildmaster still hasn't come back on a wave…I shall lead us to Brine Cave!

Everyone: ………………………………

Chatot: Uh…hello? …Say something…Please…? I'm begging on my knees! Oh, wait! You don't think…you don't think…I'm up to date!?

Chimecho: Not really. It's just that without him, it just doesn't feel…very safe.

Kyumu: You got **that** right.

Vulpix: So anyway, Chatot, since Master Wigglytuff isn't here…**You're in charge!**

Chatot (turning away): Erk! W-w-ell, everyone…You can always c-c-ount on me…n-n-no matter wh-what…the situation may be…

_Still, they march all the way to it and stop in front of its entrance. It's right by the sea._

Chatot: Listen, everyone. The weird pattern that Vulpix described is on the wall at the end. But…that's where an extremely vicious Pokémon can lurk around any bend.

Kyumu: What kind of "vicious Pokémon"?

Chatot: Uh…w-well…I…uh…don't remember. Huh. Bizarre.

Everyone: WHAT!?

Chatot: They attacked out of nowhere and knocked me out! Just like that! Like from a spout!

Vulpix: Whoa whoa whoa, Chatot! There's more than one!?

Chatot: Yeah…Oh! I remember now! In the cave, they all attacked and slammed me with a tidal wave!

Dugtrio: You mean a Water-type? Yikes…Diglett, we'd better be careful.

Chatot: We should split up into groups that don't bunch up types. Team Lovezors, don't hold me up, okay? I can't babysit you all the time, you know? Now let's be on our way!

Everyone: HOORAY!!!

_They travel through and reach the middle. Kyumu and Vulpix decide to annoy Chatot a bit with "Are we there yet?" questions. Right then, Team Skull barrels through Kyumu and Vulpix and swipes their Relic Fragment!_

Kyumu and Vulpix: OW!

Koffing (sarcastically): Well, ex-cyuuuuuuuuse me.

Skuntank: Yoink! Huh…Dis is chicken n00b's Precious? Don't look very l33t 2 me.

Kyumu and Vulpix: NOT AGAIN!!

Chatot: Oh, you're that nice team…eh?

Koffing: Wow, u really **R** n00bs. How could u get mugged 2 times in a row? ;.P

Chatot: Wait wait wait! Why are you even here today!? We haven't seen you since our expedition! What happened? Why did you go away?

Skuntank: U care dat much 'bout us? Chaw-haw-haw. Ur guild's full of gullible n00bs just w8ing 2 b mugged & haxored & have their names taken!

Chatot: Oh-oh-oh? You seem to be much coarser now—

Kyumu: Well, no duh. They're freakin' **gangsters.**

Chatot: Wha-wha-what!? Is that true, you two!?

Koffing: Yup, yup, and yup.

Zubat: Totally pwnrific and evil. I-V-U-L. :-

Kyumu and Vulpix (suddenly stifling laughter): *ppfft*…!

Skuntank: Shut up & quit giving us away, lackeys! Now CHAAAARGE! \:-

_They bowl over the three of them again. Skuntank stops to say something about "eatin' yer souls out". He flees._

Chatot: *Squawk!* *Squuuuaaawwwk!!* GET OVER HERE AND FIGHT, YOU SONS OF A TERMITE!!

_He flies after them as fast as he can._

Vulpix: What about…the vicious Pokémon…*sigh*

Kyumu (satisfied at last): Hey, at least he knows. Fi-na—ly.

_They finally arrive at the bottom after running nonstop, but they don't see Team Skull sprawled out on the ground until they trip over them!_

Kyumu and Vulpix: GACK! Owowowow…What the-!?

Vulpix: Hey, are you okay?

Kyumu: Did some vicious gang totally haxor you guys?

Koffing: Ugh…would've been better 2 know dat…

Zubat: Not dat u'd…tell us…heh-heh.

Vulpix: What about you, Skuntank!?

Skuntank: Chaw-haw-haw…U find us totally pwned…& u worry about us? Retarded…retarded…n00b…

Vulpix: **I don't care.** If you're hurt, you're hurt. We can't walk away from that.

Kyumu: Huh? Even them? The **haxor-dudes?**

Vulpix: It's true, Kyumu.

Skuntank: We're l33t enouff. We'll b fine. Dat bastard Chatot…he owned us SO much…& went away, jus' like dat. Grrr…I wanna haxor him! But still…we totally owned ur lives, too…

Kyumu: No duh.

Skuntank: But u n00bs can still care 'bout us? We're so much more l33t…

Vulpix: Okay, I admit…I was furious about that and that and that…

Kyumu: And I really wanted to haxor YOU for once…

Vulpix: But when you—I mean, anyone—is hurt like this…We can't just walk away.

Kyumu: (Jeez…Vulpix…)

Skuntank: Chaw-haw-haw…haw-haw…Whoops! Clumsy me!

_He grips the Relic Fragment with this mouth and drags it to Vulpix._

Vulpix: Oh! Thank you…

Skuntank: Don' thank me. Dat "Precious" is so not Precious or even l33t! Me thinks it brings bad luck. Now go on…OK?

Kyumu: Okay! We're gonna save the world, and no one's gonna stop us!

_Kyumu and Vulpix run off to find Chatot. Team Skull is still there. Here's confession #1!_

Skuntank: Lackeys…Can u move?

Koffing: R u 4 real?

Zubat: U've gotta b kidding us…

Skuntank: So dat's how it is…

Koffing: But I like how u kept it 2 urself 2 teh end…dat u're actually a good guy. U redeemed urself!

Skuntank: Shut it…Chaw-haw-haw…

Zubat: I know u r, Boss-Man. I know u r. ;-)

Skuntank: I sed…shut it… X-(

_They faint. Kyumu and Vulpix finally catch up to Chatot._

Chatot: SHH! They're around here…somewhere…

_Suddenly worried, they look around the cavern. But the vicious Pokémon don't seem to be anywhere…_

Kyumu and Vulpix: (Where? Where!?)

Chatot: (Uh-oh…I think they attacked me just right…) LOOK OUT!

_He looks up—and sees Kabutops and the Omastar brothers on the ceiling, about to pounce! Right as they jump down to attack, Chatot protects Team Lovezors!_

Kabutops: You protect them? You no very smart.

Omastar: Hey! Me remember same guy did that long time ago!

Kabutops: Oh yeah! You dumb beyond belief to do same dumb trick twice! Three times?

Chatot: I…don't…care…LEAVE MY FRIENDS ALONE!!

_And then he faints!_

Kyumu and Vulpix: NOOOOO!!!

Kabutops: Hahahahahahaha! Your turn next. Take this!

_Though Vulpix's Fire attacks weren't very powerful against them, Kyumu's Fighting-type attacks more than made up for that, totally shattering the enemies, who then run off. Soon enough, Wigglytuff, Grovyle, and the whole guild finds them._

Wigglytuff: CHATOT!!!

Kyumu: Master Wigglytuff! Grovyle! Quick—he needs help!

Guild members (suddenly realizing Grovyle is there): WAAAH! GROVYLE!!

Kyumu: I-it's okay, guys! He's cool!

_Then the guild members notice Chatot and run over to him, suddenly forgetting about Grovyle._

Wigglytuff: I-I'm sorry, Chatot…*sniff*…If only I'd…gotten here…more quickly…

Chatot: Don't blame yourself, Guildmaster. I got knocked out the same way…but this time, faster! Oh, I am so stupid. No wonder you're the master.

_Here's confession #2._

Wigglytuff: You're not stupid! You protected me the same way! I totally kicked their butts after that, but…if it weren't for you…I wouldn't be here alive today! Don't you remember?

Chatot: So that's what happened…?

Wigglytuff: Yes, Chatot! You're my best friend forever!

Chatot: Thank you…Guildmaster…Me too…

_He really faints this time. Grovyle rushes to make sure he's still alive._

Everyone: NOOOOO---

Grovyle: Calm down, everyone! Let me see…It's okay. He'll live. But get him back to the guild! NOW!

Wigglytuff: We'll do thattie. You three go on to the pattern thingy. Otherwise, Chatot's sacrifice would've been for nothing absolutely!

Grovyle: Thanks, Wigglytuff. Kyumu, Vulpix…let's go.

Wigglytuff: You're the chosen ones, you three. I know you can save the world and change history!

_The three heroes proceed further in and jump down the huge hole, while the guild members go back._

Vulpix: How'd you get here, Grovyle?

Grovyle: Wigglytuff brought me here. I already got all five Time Gears, and he said you were really close to finding the Hidden Land.

_They arrive at a cove from which they can see the afternoon sky. On the wall, they see the massive pattern._

Vulpix: Th—this is--!

_She brings out her Relic Fragment. All of a sudden, it and the wall pattern glow bright blue! The wall pattern shoots a beam out to sea. After it's over, that same seafaring Pokémon Lapras emerges from the horizon!_

Lapras: Kyumu…Vulpix…and Grovyle, correct? You must be the chosen ones.

Vulpix: Who are you, anyway?

Lapras: I am Lapras, the guide to the Hidden Land. Climb on my back. I will take you there.

_They jump on. By nighttime, they listen to Lapras's story. Meanwhile, at Wigglytuff's Guild, everyone's nervously waiting outside the crew rooms. Wigglytuff then tells the other guild members that Chatot will recover after a good night's rest._

Sunflora: By the way, can you tell us more about that time Chatot saved you?

Wigglytuff: Yeah…Kabutops and his lackeys jumped us from the ceiling, but Chatot saw them first, shielded me, and got knocked outtie. I beat them really quickly, just like "YOOM-TAH!" but…Chatot was dying. What to do, I didn't knowie. And that was when Lapras met me. He saved Chatot for me.

_At sea, Lapras is telling them the same story._

Kyumu: …So that's how you met Wigglytuff…

Lapras: I did not plan to show myself at all, but when Chatot was so close to death like that…I could not ignore him…Afterward, though, I made Wigglytuff promise not to tell anyone about the pattern on the wall. He agreed as thanks for saving Chatot's life.

Vulpix: So that's what happened…But why'd you want to keep it a secret?

Lapras: The Hidden Land is where Temporal Tower is. Dialga, the ruler, did not want intruders to ruin the place. So he hid it all in a gap in time. It is hard to explain, but…it is hidden within parts of a split second.

Grovyle: I see. So that's why it couldn't be found.

Lapras: However, Dialga knew the possibility of his tower needing to be saved, so he left only one key to it…the Relic Fragment.

_Back to Wigglytuff…_

Wigglytuff: When I heard wise old Torkoal's tale and saw Vulpix's Relic Fragment…I knew it was related to the Hidden Land. I figured it outie. That's why I went to Brine Cave before everyone elsey. I met with Lapras and explained everything…about the planet being paralyzed…about how the Time Gears were needed to be in Temporal Tower to stop it…and how to get thereie.

Sunflora: So what did he say?

Wigglytuff: He said that the Fragment actually chooses who gets insidie. Apparently, it chose Vulpix!

Everyone: WHAT!?** IT…**chose…Vulpix!?

Wigglytuff: Definitely. I think Dialga wanted to prevent bad people from coming into his housey. The chosen one had to have a strong, pure heart, and the Relic Fragment knew Vulpix was a real goodie. Anyway, this is all we can do nowwie. From now on, it's up to Vulpix, Kyumu, and Grovyle…the chosen ones…to save the world…and change history.

_Finally, back to Kyumu and friends._

Vulpix: …I'm the Chosen One?

Lapras: No. All three of you are the chosen ones. Only Vulpix originally came from this world, so the Relic Fragment could only find her.

Vulpix: …I…I had no idea…it meant I was…*squeee!*

Lapras: You three better rest up. In life, we do not always get to choose our defining moments. Face it in the best shape you can, while you can.

_They all fall asleep instantly, with Kyumu in front and Vulpix and Grovyle on either side, preventing him from falling. They sleep through the morning and then wake up when it's halfway between morning and noon._

Vulpix: Lapras? You tired?

Lapras: No. We are almost there. See?

Grovyle: …Hey, the waves are all twisted up over there.

Kyumu: What IS it?

Lapras: The edge of the gap in time. That is where we are going.

_He swims faster and faster, until it looks like he's levitating above the waves!_

Kyumu: WHOOA! Lapras—you're…

Vulpix: WE'RE FLYING! WE'RE FLYING!!

Grovyle: Kyumu, we're not flying. We're crossing the sea of time!

Kyumu: The sea of time, huh?...

Kyumu and Vulpix: WE'RE FLYING!!! WE'RE FLYING!!! YA-HOOOOOO!!

_They pass through the portal and find a massive floating island coursing with purple lightning!_

Lapras: We're going in!

Kyumu and Vulpix (determined to enjoy the "flying" the whole time): WOOHOOOOO!!

_They disembark. Lapras still stays there since he can't walk on land._

Lapras: Please…look ahead. That is Temporal Tower.

_They see the dark blue tower with an ominous red cloud hanging over it, floating high above them._

Vulpix: …How the heck are we supposed to get there?

Lapras: Far ahead, you will find the Old Ruins. That is where you will find the Rainbow Stoneship. Ride it. This is all I can do for you. From here on out, you are on your own. Good luck, chosen ones.

_The chosen ones cross the Hidden Land and reach the Old Ruins at the end. In it, they see frescoes of Mew as the ancestor of all Pokémon, Groudon and Kyogre forming the land and sea, and finally, Dialga and Palkia forming time and space. They move on and encounter a gigantic square pyramid with stairs to the top. They climb it. On the top, they find the same weird pattern and in the center of the pattern is a hole._

Kyumu: Hey, look! There's a hole over here!

Vulpix: I wonder…is this for…?

_She brings out her Relic Fragment and starts to place it in the hole—when all of a sudden, a dark beam blasts her! The Fragment is launched into the air and lands in the hands of—oh man…_

Vulpix (totally freaking out): AAAAAAHH!! DUSKNOIR!!!

Dusknoir: Ha-ha-ha-hoo-hoo-ha! Greetings once again, miniscule rodents!

Grovyle (glaring, keeping his cool): How did **you** get here?

Dusknoir: Simple. We bypassed the "immaculate heart" requirement by requesting Master Dialga to transport us here directly. I predicted you would inevitably arrive at this exact spot, and as usual, I was correct.

Kyumu: Ugh…Not cool, man. Not cool…

Sableye: Wheh-heh-heh! There they are! There they are!

_Now they're completely surrounded!_

Vulpix: AAAAAH!! THE SABLEYE! Not these flesh-eating guys again!

Sableye: We do eat flesh. You smart! Too bad for you. *slurp*

Grovyle: Urgh…You just **had** to ambush us** right** before we reached Temporal Tower, huh? Dusknoir…that is **so** very, very, **you**…

Dusknoir: Unfortunately, I shall forcibly extract you all back to the future. Sableye!

Sableye: Yes, Lord Dusknoir! We slice, slice, slice them at awesome stockade!

_The group pushes and claws them down the other side of the pyramid. They see a Dimensional Hole right in front of them! Naturally right then, the chosen ones attack all at once, pushing all six Sableye back._

Dusknoir: Well, well. You display feeble resistance, knowing full well that it's futile?

Grovyle: What did you expect?

Dusknoir: Vulpix, you finally realize why I kidnapped you too, don't you? You're the key-bearer.

_He holds the Relic Fragment up to prove his point._

Vulpix: Give it back! You're not Sir Dusknoir to me any more!

Kyumu: We know who you really are now! And what you did to---to my--

Dusknoir: Ah, and **Kyumu**…Once an inferior being, always an inferior being. More specifically, **a human teetering on the brink of extinction. **Pity.

Kyumu (getting REALLY angry): Oh yeah!? **No thanks to you!**

_Here's massive confession #3._

Dusknoir: Oh, and by the way…Did I ever reveal the purpose of this antenna on my cranium?

Kyumu and Vulpix (scared, not wanting to hear the answer): W-w-w-what?

Dusknoir: It receives transmissions from the spirit world that command me to escort Pokémon there. It helped me take Kyumu's family, it helped me take the rest of those inferior beings, it helped me take all the traitors, and right now, **it deigns that you three…shall be next!!**

Kyumu and Vulpix: *gasp*!!

Sableye: Shred 'em, kill 'em, eat 'em! Wheh-heh-heh!

Dusknoir: So, to fulfill its request…**We shall KILL you…until you die!**

_The eloquent speaker Dusknoir? Making a grammatical error? Kyumu and Vulpix laugh so hard that Dusknoir and his minions attack them first. Luckily, they're laughing too hard for them to have any effect. Then they fight—awesome battle. But right when they think they've won, he punches them back!_

Dusknoir: Humph. You've done admirably well for those as inferior as now. But here is where everything terminates…for you! Hoo hoo hoo ha ha ha! MUAHAHAHAHA!

_He opens the mouth on his stomach, charging up dark energy into a black hole beam! Kyumu and Vulpix have to hang onto Grovyle to keep themselves from being sucked in. _

Vulpix (panicking): What do we do? What do we do!?

Kyumu: If his stomach is still open…Hey, I know! Vulpix, Grovyle! Let's combine our attacks at him!

Vulpix: Our strongest attacks?

Grovyle: But what if he sucks them up too?

Kyumu: Then do it when I say so! Wait for it, wait for it…

Duksnoir: NOW DIE!!

Kyumu: NOW!!

_He shoots the black hole projectile right at them at a blinding speed!_

Grovyle: Leaf Blade!

Vulpix: Fire Blast!!

Kyumu: FOCUS PUNCH!!!

_They hit the projectile at exactly the same time and rebound it into Dusknoir's stomach into a huge explosion! Dusknoir tries to stay upright, but then finally collapses._

Vulpix: We…did it…

Kyumu: Did you see that? Did you SEE what I just did!?

Grovyle (staring in disbelief): We finally…defeated Dusknoir. **For the first time!**

Sableye: Lord Dusknoir…was…was defeated! Wheeeeeh-heh-heh-heeeeeeeeeeeeeeh! (Run for it!)

_All six Sableye run back into the Dimensional Hole. The Chosen Ones surround Dusknoir. After Vulpix takes back her Relic Fragment, they run back up the stairs, but then Dusknoir says something that stops Kyumu and Grovyle in their tracks._

Dusknoir: Grovyle…Kyumu…Is this what you truly desire? If you alter history…All Pokémon from the future…will disappear! That includes me, the Sableye, Master Dialga…and you.

Kyumu: HUH!?

Grovyle: D-don't listen to him, Kyumu…

Dusknoir: According to the paradox theory, our world will no longer exist if it is altered. That means we would've never been born. Even ribald lowlifes like you could've deduced such a conclusion…didn't you? Didn't you?

Kyumu: …Grovyle? Is…is that true?

Grovyle (pained): ……Yes, it is. We will disappear too.

_That was confession #4._

Kyumu: N—no way! How come…no one told me that…?

Grovyle: When you were a human, we both knew that was going to happen. But we accepted it because they murdered your family and friends, and I had no other reason to live…We had nothing to lose. Even Celebi.

Kyumu: Even Celebi? So when she said she'd devote her whole life…she really meant it?

Grovyle: Yes. I know that you don't remember our promise, and I know you're scared, but we have no choice. **Either have ourselves die and save millions of lives…or let ourselves live and let millions die.**

Kyumu: …You're right. We can't let those millions die.

Grovyle: Thanks for understanding. Just one problem, though. We **had** nothing to lose. But…this all changed when you met Vulpix. If we succeed, she will be…**left all alone.**

Kyumu: I see. If we change history…we'll disappear. And if I disappear, Vulpix will…(Vulpix will…) No…

_Unfortunately, while they were discussing that, Dusknoir has slowly been creeping up the stairs—right up to where Vulpix is! He shoots another beam at her and grabs the Fragment again. Outraged, Vulpix tackles him. The Relic Stone slips from his grasp and Kyumu catches it as he and Grovyle arrive. In retaliation, Dusknoir blasts a major beam at him, but Grovyle sees it coming and jumps in front to take the blast! Right after the beam stops, Grovyle musters all his energy, rushes at Dusknoir, and binds his arms! He also throws the Time Gears on the floor, then leaps, with Dusknoir, all the way down the stairs. Kyumu and Vulpix follow him as he lands right in front of the Dimensional Hole._

Dusknoir: Wh-what the--!?

Kyumu and Vulpix: Grovyle! What are you doing!?

Grovyle: I'm taking Dusknoir…back to the future with me!

Kyumu and Vulpix: WHAT!? WHY!?

_Oh no…this is confession #5…_

Grovyle: Sorry…I should've told you that I thought about this a long time ago. I don't belong here. I have to make sure the future is changed. **And I can't let him stop you no matter what**! But you, Kyumu…You're happier here. You belong in this world now. Vulpix—take care of Kyumu for me. Promise me, okay!?

Vulpix (teary-eyed): B-b-but how am I supposed to take your place, Grovyle?

Grovyle: I know you will. Because you two…**are the best of friends**. Ever.

Dusknoir: Grrrr…Release me, you sniveling melodramatic sops!

Grovyle: Shut up! You're ruining the moment!

Kyumu (desperate): Grovyle…Don't do this, man…

Grovyle: I have to, Kyumu. I'm happy to have met you, too! The more you love someone, the harder it is to say goodbye, and though parting is such sweet sorrow…The rest is in your hands! Goodbye…(forever…)

_With one final push, he and Dusknoir fall through the Dimensional Hole. It closes, and Kyumu and Vulpix just stand there numbly, staring at the place it once was._

Vulpix: ………………….Wait for us, Grovyle. We'll change the future into a better world…where you can finally be happy!

Kyumu: …………… (She doesn't know…does she?)……

Vulpix: Kyumu…Grovyle was right. The more you love someone, the harder it **is** to say goodbye. Since you've known each other for five years…it must've hurt him to no end to leave you like that. I know. We've only known him for several days…but I miss him already.

Kyumu: (That may be…But he wasn't talking about just us. He also meant Vulpix…and **me**…) I miss him, too.

_After they pick up the Time Gears, they sit there for a long time._

Kyumu: …But we can't let his sacrifice be for nothing. We HAVE to do this…no matter what.

_They go back to the top, finally place the Fragment into the hole, and wait as the Rainbow Stoneship activates._

Vulpix: So this is where it truly belongs…Who knew that when I found it…I would have such a destiny…

Kyumu: (This is the last time I'll ever be with her. I have to enjoy this…every step of the way.)

_The circular base rises and then speeds forward towards Temporal Tower, leaving a rainbow trail behind. Kyumu and Vulpix savor the moment. When it stops at the edge of the rock path, Vulpix gets off first and then helps Kyumu watch his step. They both march to the tower, side by side._

Vulpix: This is it, Kyumu. There's no turning back now. We have to do this no matter what!

Kyumu: It's up to us…to save the world. (So all this time, we've been marching towards a death…everyone's in the future's…and mine. So this…is what it feels like…)

_They arrive at the tall entryway, a dark blue door glowing with red lines. The ground rumbles as they arrive. They enter and make their way through the first several floors. Halfway up, they experience an even more powerful tremor._

Vulpix: It's getting worse…!

Kyumu: If this place completely collapses, the planet will be on a one-way road to being paralyzed…and all one million and one lives—us!—will all die! Come on!

_After riding through yet another tremor, they move on through the final floors, and arrive at the top. They now get the full view of the red-clouded vortex-sky with a weird black center. Purple lightning is emitting from it. But just up ahead of them, past the crumbling columns…the altar with five empty Time Gear slots! They run right up to it while Kyumu opens the treasure bag and prepares to slam them in._

Vulpix: This is it! This is it! I know it is!

Kyumu: You take the two left—I'll take the two right! We'll do the middle together!

_But right when they step on the altar's highest step, a massive bolt of purple lighting blasts them away! It turns dark all of a sudden—not a good sign._

Dialga: **SACRILEDGE!!!**

Kyumu: No, wait! We have to save the world!

Dialga: SAVE…THE WORLD? SAVE THE WORLD!? GRRR-OOOOOH!!

_In a blinding flash, Dialga appears right in front of them!_

Kyumu and Vulpix: AAAAAH! **Primal Dialga!!**

Dialga: LIARS!! YOU DARE BRING RUIN TO MY TOWER!?

Vulpix: No, no, no! We're gonna—

Dialga: SILENCE! NO ONE WHO TRESPASSES SHALL BE LEFT ALIVE…ESPECIALLY YOU!

Vulpix: H-he's…not listening to us…Here he comes! Get ready, Kyumu!

Kyumu: Attack!!!!

_They fight for the most epic 10 minutes of their lives, with lightning flashing all around, earthquakes causing them to lose their footing, and sometimes even columns collapsing! As if that weren't enough, (Primal) Dialga keeps using the gut-wrenching Roar of Time on them! Even when Kyumu and Vulpix combine all their Screeches, Force Palms, Flamethrowers, and Fire Blasts, and eat as many Oran Berries as they can…they still only cause his HP to drop by only 10%!!_

Vulpix: He's way…*huff*…stronger…than everyone we ever fought combined!

Dialga: YOU CANNOT DEFEAT ME IN BATTLE!! I AM THE LORD OF TIME!

Kyumu: He's right. We're not….getting anywhere…near beating him!

Vulpix: So…what do we do!?

_As they try to get to the altar again, Dialga attacks and sends them flying back. They have to dodge several more attacks. Finally, they think of the most genius plan ever: They throw a Sleep Seed at him!_

Kyumu and Vulpix: NOW!!

_They rush past him to the altar, grabbing Time Gears from Vulpix's bag. Kyumu slams in the two on the right and Vulpix slams in the two on the left. They both grasp the fifth and final Time Gear and stare at the middle slot on the bottom._

Kyumu and Vulpix: (This is for the world!!!)

_Together, at last, they place it in. The Gears are absorbed into the altar and the red lights glow green. Massive tremors start to shake the place!_

Vulpix: Wh-why won't they stop!? We put them in place…

Kyumu: No…no…

_Massive bolts of purple lighting strike everywhere and the whole place turns white!_

Kyumu and Vulpix: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

_After what feels like a long time later, Kyumu and Vulpix slowly and painfully wake up._

Dialga: ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?

Kyumu and Vulpix: AAAH--!!

Dialga: CALM YOURSELVES. I HAVE REGAINED MY REASON. ALTHOUGH IT HAS TAKEN HEAVY DAMAGE, TEMPORAL TOWER…STILL STANDS. NOW OBSERVE.

_The diamond on his chest shows a hologram projection in front of them. Treeshroud Forest is finally in color and moving again! So are all the places where Time Gears once were, and Treasure Town is happy again! Finally, he shows them the ridiculously broken Hidden Land and the mostly broken Temporal Tower._

Dialga: BECAUSE YOU STOPPED MY TOWER'S COLLAPSE, TIME STILL FLOWS. THE PLANET WILL NEVER BE PARALYZED AGAIN. I WILL MAKE SURE OF THAT HERE.

Kyumu and Vulpix: We did it! We did it we did it we did it!!

_They pose—one final time— to commemorate saving the world._

Dialga: YOU WERE BRAVE ENOUGH TO STAND UP TO ME, EVEN WHEN I WAS OUT OF CONTROL. SINCERELY…THANK YOU. BUT…IT WILL TAKE TIME TO REPAIR THIS PLACE. YOU TWO…YOU SHOULD GO HOME.

Kyumu and Vulpix: Okay. Goodbye, Dialga!!

Dialga: GOOD LUCK, YOU TWO.

_They start walking back down the tower._

Kyumu (suddenly regaining hope): (If…if the future's changed…and I'm still here…then maybe…just maybe…)

_They proceed onto the rock path to the Rainbow Stoneship. Kyumu realizes he's moving at only half of his usual speed._

Kyumu (all hope squashed): (Why can't…I move…? Oh no…)

Vulpix: We're going home, Kyumu. We're finally going home…

_As he keeps going, Kyumu suddenly can't move anymore. He starts glowing yellow._

Kyumu: Vulpix!!

Vulpix: Kyumu, what now—What the--!? What's happening to you!?

Kyumu: Sorry, Vulpix. It looks like…I've finally run out of time.

Vulpix: What!? You—you're out of time? What do you mean!?

Kyumu: Dusknoir told me. If we change the future, everyone from the future will disappear…including Grovyle …and **me**.

Vulpix: W-w-wait a second…I only made it this far because you were with me! Don't you understand? **You're my prince, Kyumu!** If you go…I…I don't know…what I'd do…

Kyumu (suddenly shouting and crying): Vulpix! Do you think I **want** to do this!? No, you have to live the rest of your life…for me! Go home and tell everyone our story…so that no one will ever have to go through this ever again. Besides, Grovyle said either have ourselves die and save millions of lives…or let ourselves live and let millions die.

Vulpix: But…I-Isn't there a way...to save all one million lives **and** yours!?

Kyumu: Believe me, Vulpix. I would've paid anything to make that possible. You're lucky, though—I'm the one that's dying here!

Vulpix: Kyumu…I've always wanted to tell you…that I…

Kyumu: Seriously, though…Thanks for everything. I loved the times we played…the times we fought…the times we explored. I loved living life with you and Grovyle and everyone. My life was too short, but…I wouldn't have traded any second of it **with you**. This time…I'll never forget you. **I promise.**

_And here is confession #7…the biggest one of all._

Vulpix: …I…**I love you!!!**

_Right then, the light fully envelops him and he disappears. Vulpix runs to the spot and cries at the ground, clutching all that remains of her best friend—the Blue Bandanna._

Vulpix (crying): Kyumu…Kyumu! Kyuuuumuuuuu!!!!

_She staggers back to the Rainbow Stoneship carrying the Treasure Bag, the badge, and the Blue Bandanna, tripping every now and then._

Vulpix (more tears): ……………….I have to live. I have to get home alive…and tell everyone…about what happened…Because it was…Kyumu's…last…wish…

_She is the only one to board it…so lonely…and sees Temporal Tower getting farther and farther away…_

Vulpix: I thought…we could finally be…the family I never had…Kyumu! Grovyle! (I thought we had the rest of our lives in front of us…I wish you guys never had to die…) **I wish you never had to leave me behind!**

Narrator: And so, Kyumu and Vulpix finally succeeded in their mission to save the world from total paralysis and disaster. Vulpix left Temporal Tower…and safely returned to Treasure Town. Upon returning to the guild, she told everyone about the whole story…and about Kyumu. She told the story whenever and wherever possible to as many Pokémon as possible. And in so doing, she preserved the memory of Kyumu and the hope for world peace. So months passed, Treasure Town returned to its cheerful routines, the scars from the planet's injuries slowly healed, and life gradually returned to normal…except…

_Six months later, one evening, Vulpix exits the guild and goes to the beach again._ _The Krabby's bubbles reflect the setting sun and create an atmosphere of peace, harmony, and beauty. Vulpix stops to see the beautiful sight._

Vulpix: Woooow…The sun rises, then it sets…It's all thanks to the flow of time that the planet is able to keep moving and show us this…wonderful sight. And I don't need to know all the answers, as longs as I'm with…with…Oh no. The last time I saw this…was when our adventure began…when I met…**my prince**…

_She remembers everything as if it were only yesterday…of how she met Kyumu…of how they made Team Lovezors…of all the times they played around…of all the times she became brave…of how Kyumu pulled her through everything…of Grovyle…of the future…of his hidden warmth…and finally, of how they placed the last Time Gear in the last slot at exactly the same time._

Vulpix (teary-eyed): It feels like only yesterday, but…now I'll never…see him…again…

_She stares at the sunset, and then collapses, crying, on the sand, into the Blue Bandanna she always kept._

Vulpix: WAAAH!! KYUMU! I miss you so much! I wish you were here! **I wish you could come back again!!** PLEASE!!!

_But no one came._

_Meanwhile, at Temporal Tower…_

Dialga: VULPIX…WHEN YOU LEFT…I COULD FEEL YOUR SORROW EVEN HERE. AND IF THAT IS HOW YOU FEEL EVEN NOW…ALONG WITH KYUMU…I WILL GRANT YOUR WISH. THE WORLD STILL NEEDS YOU BOTH. THAT IS WHY…I LEAVE TO YOU…THE FUTURE! **THANK YOU FOR SAVING OUR WORLD!**

_Dialga's Roar of Time reaches all the way into outer space. Meanwhile, on the beach, a glowing yellow orb reappears on the exact spot Kyumu arrived—could it be…? Confession #...8?_

Kyumu: …Vulpix…To tell you the truth…I…**I love you too.**

Vulpix: …KYUMU!!!

_Vulpix gives Kyumu his Blue Bandanna back and hugs him as if it were the last time. And woudn't you know it? That last confession was the most powerful of all._

**The End (of the main story, at least)!**


	8. Evolution Time, Shaymin, and Manaphy!

Chapter 8: Evolution Time, Shaymin, and Baby Manaphy—Yippee!

Narrator: As a result of Kyumu and Vulpix's heroic actions, peace returned to the world of Pokémon. Of course, some places remained where time was still out of control, but overall, things were getting better. As for them, at Wigglytuff's guild…they fell back into their daily vigorous training routine of yore!

_Kyumu is now 15 years old since 6 months passed since the 6 months that passed since he and Vulpix saved the world. Chatot just told them that they can take their graduation exam immediately, and if they pass, they graduate from the guild and can explore on their own. Their mission: To find the treasure in Mystifying Forest and bring it back. Things go well until suddenly, they fall into a massive pitfall trap!_

Vulpix: Owowowowow…

Kyumu: Stupid…friggin'…pitfall traps…

_The hole closes up, and it becomes dark!_

Kyumu: Not again! (Who the frack keeps turning out the lights!?)

Grand Master: Welcome…to the world of darkness. I am…The Grand Master of All Things Bad!

Vulpix: EEYAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!

Kyumu: Really? That's the stupidest name I ever heard.

Minions: Not just him! We, his loyal minions, are here too. You can't see us…**but we can see you!**

Grand Master: Muahahahahaha!! **Muahahahahaha!!** Coming to our lair is the **worst** mistake you'll ever make. Prepare to **die **at the hands of—

_Light suddenly comes in. It's the guild members!!_

Wigglytuff: …the hands of…uh…whoopsie. I mean…this is kind of silly.

Bidoof: Uh, what? …Oops.

_It turns out that Bidoof, standing above the pit, lifted the cover by accident. Kyumu and Vulpix start laughing like crazy._

Grand Master (in a much deeper voice): ……….Who's…Wigglytuff? I am the Grand Master. I do not know who this Master Wigglytuff is.

Kyumu (suddenly realizing the truth): Oh, **I** see how it is…You, Mr. "**Grand Master**" are trying to **"mess with my head"** by **"pretending to be Wigglytuff"**. Aren't ya? Aren't ya?

Grand Master: You are correct! Coming to our lair is the **worst** mistake you'll ever make. Prepare to **die **at the hands of…The Grand Master of All Things Bad! YOOM…TAH!

_They fight. Luckily, Kyumu and Vulpix manage to beat everyone, including the "Grand Master" himself. They all run out of the pit, and Kyumu and Vulpix climb out after them. Victory pose time! They then encounter a treasure chest up ahead and suddenly think twice, as it could be another trap._

Vulpix: Kyumu, if you will…?

Kyumu (really annoyed): Heeeey…Why do **I** have to do everything?

Vulpix (slapping him on the ear): Just do it! You're the **leader!**

Kyumu: Fine, fine…*grumble grumble*…

_He steps up to the box._

Kyumu: (Come to think of it, it's been forever since I used that Dimensional Scream. Let's see if it still works!)

_He pokes it. It activates! He sees Wigglytuff coming in the middle of the night, checking around to see if anyone's watching, then placing the box in the exact spot before running away._

Kyumu: (Heh. So it **was** Wigglytuff.)

_He opens it, and…what's inside makes everyone's jaws drop in disbelief. It's a Perfect Apple. What kind of treasure is that!? But right at that moment, a light shines down in the spring ahead of them. The Luminous Spring is activated!_

Mysterious Voice: The resumption of time has brought light here back again. If you seek evolution, step forward.

Kyumu and Vulpix: (Where's that voice coming from?) What's evolution?

_The mysterious voice explains all about it, how one's appearance changes, one can change types/abilities, and how one can never go back after evolving. The voice then conjures up a "hologram book" and flips to the Riolu page. It shows an arrow pointing from Riolu to a picture of a Lucario, with a sun-icon and two IQ stars on the arrow. Kyumu stares at the Lucario hologram in awe. Vulpix swoons when she sees it._

Kyumu: That…is SO…WICKEDLY COOL! I wanna be him! I wanna be him!

_The hologram then flips to the Vulpix page, showing an arrow pointing from Vulpix to a picture of a Ninetales, with a Fire Stone on the arrow. Vulpix thinks the Ninetales is really pretty, and wants to be her. Now they both really want to evolve._

Kyumu: I'M GOING FIRST! I'M GOING FIRST!

Vulpix: NO NO! ME FIRST! ME FIRST! ME--

_They trip and claw over each other, but land in the white light at the same time._

Mysterious Voice: …No. Impossible.

Kyumu and Vulpix: WHAT!? Why not!?

Mysterious Voice: Didn't you read it? Neither of you have the appropriate requirements. Kyumu, you need a Sun Ribbon and at least a 2-star IQ to evolve, and Vulpix, you need a Fire Stone. Don't come back here until you obtain them. Good day.

Kyumu and Vulpix: …AWW, MAAAAN!!!

_The light disappears. Team Lovezors goes back to the guild, grumbling about not being able to evolve. Everyone cheers and throws confetti on them! But then they notice how disappointed Kyumu and Vulpix are._

Wigglytuff: …What's went badly? Shouldn't you be happy?

Kyumu: Well, yeah…but...HE DIDN'T LET US EVOLVE!!

Wigglytuff: Who cares about thattie? You! Brought! Back! A! Perfect! Apple! Thingie!! But not just that—you defeated The Grand Master of All Things Bad, that meanie! Didn't you? Didn't you!?

Vulpix: Hey! How come **you** know we did that!?

Wigglytuff: …Uh…A little birdie told me?

Everyone (nervously): …AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Chatot: Anyway, from now on, not only will you not have to follow the guild's regulations anymore, you two will be able to operate as an exploration team totally on your own score!

Vulpix: Ooo! Ooo! Does that mean we get to keep all the money we earn!? Do we? Do we? Huh huh huh?

Chatot: …………No way. That rule will still stay!

Vulpix: Wh-what…?

Chatot: You're still affiliated with us. You'd never have become a team without us. Don't make such a fuss!

Kyumu and Vulpix: ………...AWW, MAN!!

Sunflora: Cheer up already! You graduated! You…actually…graduated!

Loudred: Heck, even I couldn't pass that test!

Wigglytuff: Congratulations, Team Lovezors! You passed today! And Kyumu…I hope to see you again someday!

_More confetti and cheering. Before they leave, the guild gives them a whopping 10,000 in start-up funds!! They go back to Sharpedo Bluff and decide to live there from then on. Victory pose time!_

Narrator: Congratulations, Team Lovezors! You've finally graduated!

Kyumu and Vulpix: WOOHOOO!!

_Kyumu explains to Vulpix how they actually fought against the entire guild back there. Vulpix groans. And so begins Team Lovezors explorations by themselves! The first order of business: Finding the "legendary" evolution items! One day, while exploring…_

Vulpix (grinning mischievously): Don't you know what today is?

Kyumu: No. There's no freakin' calendar thingy or whatever.

Vulpix: It's the day we first met!

Kyumu: Yeah. So?

Vulpix: Let's get each other an anniversary present! I'll get your evolution items, and you'll get mine! Okay! Bye!

Kyumu: Wait, what!?

_Vulpix runs off on her own to obtain a Sun Ribbon and a mess of Gummis, while Kyumu is stuck trying to find Fire Stones in volcanoes and such. Problem is, lots of them are fakes, and it takes him a long time to find a real one, which happens to be obscenely expensive. He steals one from a Kecleon Shop and uses the Fight Gem to double his speed so he can get out of there fast. Soon enough, he and Vulpix meet up at Luminous Spring again._

Mysterious Voice: Oh? Back so soon?

Kyumu: No thanks to you! You can't believe whom I had to outrun just to get this—

Vulpix: YAAY! Thank you thank you thank you!!

Kyumu: Whaddya know…You got the Sun Ribbon too—Wait. Do I have to eat ALL this stuff!?

Vulpix: Yup! I'm going first!

Kyumu: Aww, man…

_While he eats as many of the Gummis as he can, he feels himself suddenly getting smarter and such (not that it'll actually help him). Vulpix, now with the Fire Stone, steps into the light and evolves into Ninetales!_

Ninetales: All right! Kyumu? From now on, you can call me…Ninetales.

Kyumu (still eating): Mm-hmm…

_Finally, Kyumu finishes the last Gummi, grabs the Sun Ribbon, and jumps into the light. In a split-second, he evolves from a Riolu to a Lucario and, with his new strength, continues to fly through the air and accidentally kicks a hole through the cave wall!_

Kyumu and Ninetales: … … ………Oops.

Mysterious Voice: This place serves no purpose to you now. Begone.

_They run away back to Sharpedo Bluff._

Kyumu (laughing): …So the first thing I did? I kicked the smart-alecky spring!

Ninetales: AHAHA! That's rich! That's so rich! But still…You're not gonna change your name?

Kyumu: Heck no. Kyumu's an awesome name. And I sure look cooler, too!

Ninetales (staring romantically): *sigh*…I'd say you look cuter.

Kyumu: …Say what?

_To Kyumu's chagrin, it looks like his new evolution might make his life more miserably mushy, too. He distracts her by suggesting they go to Spinda's Drink Stand. But over there, they just announced that Sky Peak had been discovered, and no one is selling any drinks. So to Kyumu's chagrin (again), they go to Sky Peak. Shaymin offers to be their guide as they climb up the mountain. But on the way, things become even more excruciating… _

Ninetales: You said you love me.

Kyumu: Don't start.

Ninetales: You know you love me.

Kyumu: I was in the moment. I said don't start.

Ninetales: What happened to our "living happily ever after"? When will we get married?

Kyumu: VULPIX! We're not supposed—

Ninetales: Weren't you listening? My name is NINETALES!!

_She starts shooting Flamethrowers at him as a "joke". He didn't know it was a joke, though, so he responds with new moves like Aura Sphere and some wrestling. _

Kyumu: Hey! HEY! I'm part Steel-type now! Not the ears! Not the ears! HEY!

Ninetales (teasingly): Look out…I can hold a grudge for 1,000 years…

Kyumu: Oh crap…

Shaymin (really nervous): Uh, guys…?

_Shaymin keeps her distance as Kyumu and Ninetales continue wrestling until she suddenly detects nearby pollution, sucks it up, and uses Seed Flare on them. They realize just how stupid they must look and laugh. At the peak they fight off the crazy Grimer and Muk polluting the place. Shaymin restores the peak to its former beauty and they enjoy the awesome view. She then uses one of the Gracidea flowers to turn into Sky Forme and gives them a ride down the mountain._

Shaymin: By the way, uh…Kyumu? Do you think I could…join your team?

Ninetales: Hey, Kyumu! Race you back. Last one there is a—

Kyumu: Maybe later, when we're not so busy, Shamin! Thanks for everything! See ya!

_They race back to Sharpedo Bluff. Wouldn't you know it? Kyumu actually won. A few days later, Sunflora pesters them over and over again about some place called the "Surrounded Sea", so they have to go there just to get her to stop. Ninetales brings her Flicker Collar, which is a good move since there's nothing but Water-types there. At the end, they see a weird-looking egg. The ever-curious Ninetales picks it up and brings it back to Sharpedo Bluff, while Kyumu wonders if that was a good idea. The next morning, it hatches!_

Manaphy: …?

Kyumu: …What the frack is **that?**

Ninetales: Aaaaaww! He's soooooooo CUTE!!

Manaphy: Kyakya! Kyakya! Goo goo ga ga bai-ka!

_Kyumu has to practically drag Ninetales and Manaphy back to the guild. Chatot explains that the baby's name is Manaphy, and that he knows next to nothing about him. Just then, Manaphy starts crying!_

Ninetales: Oh no! Don't cry, little Manaphy! Don't cry! Mama's here!

Kyumu (holding his ears): My ears! My ears! Chatot! How do we make it stop!?

Chatot: I'd imagine that he's hungry. Since he's a Water-type, let's feed him…a Blue Gummi.

_Thankful for that excuse, Kyumu drags Ninetales out of there and goes rummaging for several Blue Gummis in Kangaskhan Storage. _

Kyumu (muttering to himself): …anything to shut the little snot rag up…

Ninetales: Kyumu! Don't be such a meanie-butt! You're his Papa!

Kyumu: Whoa, hold up! I ain't nobody's dad! That is, like, so retarded!

Ninetales (giggling): Your grammar's slipping…

_They continue arguing like that all the way back to Manaphy. Since Kyumu's so disgusted by the "little snog rag", Ninetales feeds Manaphy the Gummi. He likes it!_

Manaphy: Goomi! Goomi!

Kyumu: It's **Gummi**, you idiot.

Ninetales: Can we keep him, Chatot? Can we keep him? Please please please please pleeeeeaaase??

Kyumu: …Please, no…

_Chatot agrees with Kyumu: Manaphy normally grows in the sea. If they tried to raise him on land, who knows what will happen? Despite that, Ninetales begs and begs and begs…and finally, Chatot and Kyumu give in. _

Ninetales: YAAAAY! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU---

Manaphy: Thank you! Thank you! Goo goo ga ga bai-ka!

Kyumu: (My life is getting suckier and suckier, isn't it?)

_Over the next few days at Sharpedo Bluff, Ninetales teaches Manaphy new words such as "house", "Mama", "Kyumu", and the ABC's. Kyumu just stays outside, practicing his Kamehameha—I mean, Aura Spheres, pretending to aim for targets that look suspiciously like Manaphy. Now and again, he throws Blue Gummis at Manaphy just to make him go away. At least he doesn't cry at night…much. One morning…_

Manaphy: Kyumu! Mama!

Kyumu: Wha--? Huh? Did he just say our names?

Ninetales: Good job, Manaphy! Wanna go see the sea today?

Manaphy: Sea?

_They go there._

Manaphy: …!

Ninetales: See, Manaphy? This is the sea. **Sea.**

Manaphy: Sea! Sea sea sea!

Kyumu (stifling laughter): You see the sea? Like the letter C? Si?

_After confusing Manaphy with more homophones, they play on the beach all day. Ninetales makes sand castles, while Kyumu shows Manaphy how to surf like a pro. Even Lapras joins in on the fun and gives them all a ride from time to time. When evening comes finally go back home. In the middle of the night, Manaphy wakes up and gazes longingly at the ocean, suspecting maybe that place is where he really belongs. Kyumu and Ninetales wake up to find, to their horror, that Manaphy is gone! They look all over, and find him at the beach._

Kyumu: Manaphy? Dude, where were you? You—Manaphy?

_Manaphy collapses! Kyumu and Ninetales take him back home, where Chatot realizes he has a high fever. The only thing that can help him is a special cure-all called Phione Dew. They run over to Miracle Sea as fast as possible. In there, a colony of Phione is playing around, all happy and such. Suddenly, a tough-guy Gyarados muscles in on the group, demanding all the Phione dew they have. Kyumu walks up to the guy, all confident and relaxed, while Ninetales keeps her distance, shivering._

Kyumu: Yo!

Gyarados: Arr! Who be dis landlubber? Ya wanna mess wit' ME??

Kyumu: Sorry, dude, but you totally fail at speaking pirate.

Gyarados: Ye arr a million years too early to mess wit' ME!

Kyumu: No, you're a **billion **years too early to mess with **me**.

Gyarados: Oh yeh!?

Kyumu: It's time to…d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-Oh, what the heck.

_One punch, and Gyarados is flying out of the ocean into the sky like Team Rocket. So much for a Yu-gi-oh duel. _

Ninetales: Whooooaaaa…

All the Phione: YAAAAAY!!

Kyumu: That's how we do it! Yeah! That's how we do it!

_All the Phoine lift him on a watery throne emblazoned with the word "HEROES!!" on it. Since Kyumu can read enough footprint runes to identify individual words, he pulls Ninetales up there too since it's a plural-form word. The Phoine give them the necessary dew and transport them back to Sharpedo Bluff for free. They get off and give the dew to Manaphy. A few days later, Manaphy's good as new! But Chatot reminds them that Manaphy needs to be raised in the sea. They go to the beach, where Walrein is waiting._

Ninetales: You promise to take care of him?

Walrein: Aye. I've heard everythin' I need to know from yer guildmaster.

Ninetales: *sigh*…Okay. Manaphy? I want you to be a good boy for Mr. Walrein here, okay?

Manaphy: …? Kyumu…? Mama…?

_Chatot realizes that prolonging this will only make it worse. He tells Walrein to leave with Manaphy as soon as possible._

Walrein: We're going, Manaphy.

Manaphy: …!?

_He drags a struggling Manaphy to the open sea, back into the sunset…_

Manaphy: KYUMU! MAMA! NOOOO!!

Ninetales: G-goodbye…Manaphy…WAAAAAH!!

Kyumu: It's okay, Ninetales, it's okay…

_Ninetales can't hold back any longer. She cries all the way back home. The next morning, they look forlornly at Manaphy's former bed for a long time. Then they go to the cliff's edge and sit down, staring at the sea._

Kyumu: Jeez…And here I was starting to **like **the little guy…

Ninetales: I hope he's okay…out there…

Kyumu: Don't worry. I'm sure we'll see him again. Someday.

Ninetales: Really?

Kyumu: Really really. And, uh, Ninetales? I'm really, really sorry…about the way I treated you and Manaphy back there. I guess…**I** was the retard all along.

Ninetales: I forgive you. Besides, in life, everyone needs someone to love. It just took you longer to realize that than most people.

Kyumu: I see…So you're gonna be okay?

Ninetales: I think so. At least in a few days. I know Manaphy wouldn't want us to be sad…but I can't bring myself to feel better just yet.

Kyumu: …Back then, Grovyle told me that saying goodbye was ten times harder than saying hello…I guess I finally know what he meant.

Ninetales: …First Grovyle…Now Manaphy. But I'm glad we met them both. Aren't you?

Kyumu: Yeah. Me too.

_They stare out into the ocean for several more minutes. Finally, with new wisdom and resolve, they get up and turn around to face a new day_. _Several weeks later, one night, in Treeshroud Forest, a lone dark figure is levitating in the middle of a path, ranting._

Darkrai (angry): Curse you, Kyumu and Ninetales! Curse you! I failed to destroy time, and it's all because of **you, you…and that blasted Grovyle!**

_He pauses for a moment and looks around._

Darkrai (evil smile): …But that may be for the best. After all, your very existence will help me, the Master of All Things Evil, destroy…space!

_Sounds ominous, doesn't it? Check out the thrilling conclusion in chapter 9! _

To be continued…


	9. How to, Sort of, Live Happily Ever After

Chapter 9: How to Live Happily Ever After

_One night, Kyumu gets the scariest dream of all..._

Kyumu: …Who's…there…?

Cresselia: …I am…Cresselia. Your…your very existence is…going to destroy the world.

Kyumu: Wait, what!? How am I doing that!?

Cresselia: You were a human who came from the future, of course. You are distorting the fabric of space simply because you don't belong to this world. And if this distortion were to expand…it would destroy the world. YOU…MUST…DIE!

Kyumu: Wait! Wait! NOOOOO!!

_Ninetales is chewing on Kyumu's ear, trying to get him to wake up. He does, grateful to have been spared from that nightmare. As they exit the house, Bidoof arrives and brings Kyumu and Ninetales to their old room. Azurill is sleeping in the farthermost bed. Everyone from the guild and Marill are surrounding him. _

Marill: He's been sleeping and sleeping and sleeping, and no matter what I do, I can't wake him up!

Chimecho: And we can't feed him anything like berries, so…

Bidoof: Uh…If we can't make the nightmare go away…then maybe we could at least see what kind of nightmare he's having…

Loudred (sarcastic): Oh! RIGHT! So we should look into his dream! **How do we do THAT!?**

Chatot: Actually…possible, it may be. We should find…Drowzee.

_He explains that Drowzee can help someone enter a dream. Team Lovezors reaches the top of Mt. Travail and find Drowsee meditating. After a crazy dialogue of bantering, they convince him to come along, and guide him to Azurill. Only Marill is also there._

Drowzee: ………………You'd better shtock up. I can shend you in there. But be careful. Shomething's rotten 'bout dis here dream…One more sthing. Only you two should enter. I'd like to go, but I'd shlow you down too mucsh.

Ninetales: Thanks, Mr. Drowzee. We'll be here as soon as we get ready.

_After the preparations and shtuff (I mean, stuff), Drowzee uses his awesome psychic power to transport them into Azurill's Nightmare. It almost looks like a normal dungeon, except for the fact that everything seems to take on a dark purple._

Drowzee: Kyumu! Ninetales! Can you hear me!?

Kyumu: Yeah! Yeah! It's really weird in here…

Drowzee: Good. Now remember…Be careful in dere. An' try not ter kill each other while in dere, okay?

Kyumu and Ninetales: Riiiiiight…

_They venture through and reach a really long path. Suddenly, it turns pitch-black! It lightens up again. Cresselia's right in front of them!_

Cresselia: So we finally meet.

Kyumu: Cresselia!?

Ninetales: You know her too, Kyumu? I knew it…We **were** both having the same dreams! Cresselia, if space is distorted, why would the world be destroyed?

Cresselia: If the distortion expands, so will the power of darkness. Eventually, the world will be enveloped in a nightmare much like this one. For now, only Azurill is affected. But soon, every single Pokémon in the world will become drawn in and trapped, never to awaken again.

Kyumu (blanching): Never…to awaken…again…?

Ninetales: So what would it take to, uh…get rid of that distortion?

Cresselia: There's only one way…YOU MUST DIE!!

_Right as she attacks them, Drowzee's voice cuts in, interrupting her attack. She leaves just as Drowzee finds them._

Kyumu and Ninetales (slumping to the ground): *pheeeeeeewwweee!!*

Drowzee: Oh! There you arr!

Ninetales: Drowzee!? What are you doing here!?

Drowzee: You were taking sho long, sho I came here myshelf. We better get outta here.

_He transports them back to the outside, where they explain everything to everyone._

Chatot: …so that's what she said? *SQUAWK!!*

Ninetales: What **do** you know about Cresselia, anyway?

Chatot: I heard that she only appears on nights of quarter moons and can heal others' emotional scars. She can also banish darkness and it's various chars.

Drowzee: Did she shay anyshting 'bout how dat dishtorshion can be shopped?

Kyumu and Ninetales (shocked): HUH!? I mean, uh, nothing! Nothing! Nothing at all!

Drowzee: *sigh*…Shame.

Wigglytuff: That's how it is, okay? Starting tomorrow, let's investigate this distortion in space thouroughly! What do we say?

Everyone: HOORAY! (How are we supposed to do **that**…?)

_That night, at Ninetales's house (a.k.a. Sharpedo Bluff)…_

Ninetales: …I lied, Kyumu! We know there's a way to stop it!

Kyumu: Me too! I mean, come on! Do they really expect us to say, "We have to kill ourselves!"!?

Ninetales: But seriously…Should we do that anyway? If that would really save the world?

Kyumu: Heck, no! We don't know that for sure, Ninetales! I say we actually see this distortion first!

_They fall asleep. During the night, Kyumu suddenly can't sleep and wakes up. Seeing that Ninetales isn't there, he climbs the stairs and sees her on the cliff's edge, staring out into the sea. He joins her._

Ninetales: …Can't we be allowed to stay? When we fought Dialga there…You kept going even when you knew you would disappear. In that case…maybe we should do that too.

Kyumu: But something seems weird this time.

Ninetales: Weird? What do you mean?

Kyumu: …That's it! Back then I never had a choice! But now…we do.

Ninetales: So you're saying that there's no telling what will happen if we do. But still…There's no escaping the fact that we changed history…Oh, look! Sunrise!

_They turn to look at the sun peeking though the mountains._

Ninetales: That reminds me. I saw this with Grovyle before.

Kyumu (surprised): Really?

Ninetales: And back in the Hidden Land…Grovyle entrusted me with his last wish…to look after you no matter what. …I'm so ashamed. Kyumu! If you aren't giving up, I won't either! There must be another way to fix this, I know now!

_Back in Sharpedo Bluff, they decide to ask Lapras about the space distortions. At the beach…_

Lapras: Hmmm……..Sorry. I do not know anything about that. However, I do know of Palkia, the embodiment of space itself. Since time and space are deeply intertwined, he and Dialga are related. He lives in Spacial Rift.

Ninetales: How do we get there?

Lapras: …Sorry. I do not know where it is, either.

Kyumu: Oh, that's okay. *sigh*…I guess we'll have to find out on our own, then…

_That night, a massive "earthquake" shakes them awake. Half a second later, a massive burst of light almost blinds them. When the light clears, a massive being taking up the whole room is standing right in front of them!_

Palkia: I HAVE FOUND YOU AT LAST!

Ninetales: Wh-wh-who are you?

Kyumu (looking at the tiny doorway): How'd you even get in here!?

Palkia: I AM PALKIA, AND I RULE SPACE!

Kyumu: You're Palkia!?

Ninetales: B-b-b-b-but… (Well, wow. We wanted to meet you, but…)

Palkia: YOU WILL NOT ESCAPE!!

_Palkia's body shines brightly and envelops them all in a ball of yellow light. He flies them all to his home, Spacial Rift, where he proceeds to attack them at the edge of a cliff._

Palkia: THIS IS…SPACIAL RIFT!

Kyumu: What!? Spacial Rift!? H-how'd we get here already…?

Palkia: YOU DARE DISTORT SPACE WITHOUT MY PERMISSION!? DIE!!

Kyumu and Ninetales (falling down the cliff): AAAAAAAH!!

Palkia: …CURSES. THEY FELL. NO MATTER…THERE IS NO ESCAPING ME!

_He glows and flies down after them. They land on the bottom, hard._

Ninetales: Owowowow….My back! My back!

Kyumu: My back! My back!

Ninetales: But, still…Wow.

Kyumu: I know! Just yesterday, we were looking for the Spacial Rift and Palkia, and here we are! If he wasn't trying to kill us…I wouldn't believe our luck!

Ninetales: Almost **too **lucky…I totally smell a rat.

Kyumu: Yeah. I wonder who tipped him off…?

_They proceed all the way to the bottom. It's a dead end!_

Palkia: OH NO YOU DON'T!

Kyumu and Ninetales: AAAAAH! Palkia!!!

Palkia: KNOW WHY YOU CANNOT ESCAPE? I WILL TELL YOU. YOU MUST…DIE!!

_They fight. But after 10 minutes and lots of Spacial Rends, they realize fighting is getting them nowhere. Just before he delivers the finishing blow…he freezes in place!_

Kyumu: ………Huh? He stopped…moving?

???: Palkia has fallen to the nightmare. Darkness's power has spread again. Would you two enter Palkia's nightmare? You will learn why he attacked you.

Kyumu: …You sound kinda shifty to me…but if there's no other way outta here…then fine. We'll go.

_The voice sends them into Palkia's nightmare. Palkia belligerently explains that this is the first time ever he can't control a part of space. Before he tries to attack them, Cresselia materializes from behind Palkia! He steps aside to let her approach Kyumu and Ninetales._

Cresselia: So the darkness engulfs here too…You two really must die…Before we pass the point of no return.

_She backs them up against the wall!_

Ninetales (pained): Cresselia? If we die…will the world really and truly be saved?

Kyumu (really pained): Are you sure that would happen?** Really** really sure?

Cresselia: Yes. It absolutely will. Don't ask me how I know, because I know. Is that all?

Kyumu: (Then maybe…we really do have to die…) Please make it quick and painless, please…

Palkia: WAIT, CRESSELIA. I ATTACKED THEM IN ANGER, BUT NOW THAT I LOOK AT THEM…THEY ARE BUT INNOCENTS. ARE THEY REALLY AND TRULY MALICIOUS?

Kyumu: (What!? She said that about us!?)

Cresselia: Do not be fooled, Palkia. All will be saved if we get rid of them now.

Kyumu: (If Palkia is getting suspicious…then something's really wrong here! This is all completely based on what Cresselia said!)

Cresselia: Now die!!!

Kyumu: Ninetales! **Something's not right here! LOOK OUT!**

_Is she too late? Cresselia attacks them—_

???: You are correct. Everything here…**is wrong!**

_The next moment, Cresselia can't move. But more than that—Kyumu, Ninetales, and Palkia notice…another Cresselia!? They look back and forth between them. The new Cresselia glows yellow, lights up the room—and then the first Cresselia is suddenly something else!_

Kyumu and Ninetales: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!

Palkia: WHO IS THIS!?

_The new Cresselia attacks the shadowy Pokémon._

Darkrai: Curse you, Cresselia! Right when I would've killed them…Curse you!

Cresselia: Kyumu, Ninetales, and Palkia! This is Darkrai! That Cresselia you met earlier was actually him! I am the real Cresselia! I thought you'd never show yourself, Darkrai. It is not like you to come out of hiding to dispose of anyone personally.

Darkrai: …You two, behind Cresselia…**I was the one who distorted space.** You're welcome.

Kyumu, Ninetales, and Palkia: WHAT!!??

Darkrai: I await you in Dark Crater. Just try to stop me.

Cresselia: You're not getting away!!

_He vanishes right when she attacks him! Typical._

Darkrai: You cannot catch me, Cresselia…Never.

_And on that ominous note…They get Palkia out of his nightmare. He transports them all back to Treasure Town, where it's already daytime. Kyumu and Ninetales encounter everyone at Town Square, including Marill and Azurill. Apparently, Azurill has awakened. They thank Drowzee like crazy._

Kyumu: Cresselia? What happened to Palkia?

Cresselia: He's busy fixing the distortions of space. I imagine he wouldn't come here for quite some time.

Chatot: Marvelous! Marvelous! So all those rumors about you were true!

Cresselia: Yes. Darkrai stands diametrically opposite to me. Kyumu and Ninetales, you always met my impostor in dreams, didn't you? It was all an elaborate trap to get at you and kill you both.

Drowzee: Why'd he bother going to all dat trouble? Wouldn't it be faster to jusht, fight them?

Cresselia: I imagine he was secretly afraid of them. You saved the world by preventing Temporal Tower's collapse. But…**he **was the one who made it collapse in the first place.

Everyone: WHAT!?

Cresselia: He always wanted to cover the world in darkness. After that failure, he went to destroy space instead.

Ninetales: So he made the space distortions? But-but…what about us?

Cresselia: True. You are distorting it…But it's so small, it's negligible. It won't expand. Nothing Palkia can't fix, anyway. It was blamed on you so you would feel so guilty, he'd have an easy time killing you.

Ninetales (teary-eyed): Then…then…

Kyumu (totally relieved): We can live, Ninetales! We can live…!

Wigglytuff: If either of you went away…We'd all be really lonely. That should be reason enough to live, okay? **Everyone's **life is valuable and has meaning in this world. Everyone's.

Ninetales: Thanks, Wigglytuff…

Cresselia: But right now, Darkrai is doing something so unlike him now…It's definitely a trap.

Kyumu: I don't care! We're going! (Besides, if he attacked Temporal Tower in the first place, I have a feeling there's something he's not telling me.)

Cresselia: …Okay. I will accompany you. I would like to settle this once and for all.

_Everyone wants to go too, but Cresselia explains that only the three of them should go. Cresselia waits for them on the cliff's edge. When they prepare, they all ride on her across the sea. That's where the Dark Crater is. They enter, fight their way though, and reach the top. When they arrive, Darkrai materializes out of nowhere._

Darkrai: You've kept me waiting.

Kyumu: You don't even know us, dude!

Darkrai: Wrong. I know all about you…especially you, Kyumu. You and Grovyle had an accident while time traveling, remember? Had it not occurred to you how odd that was?

Kyumu (getting suspicious): Yeah…all the time! Hey! Are you saying…?

Darkrai: Yes. **I** did it. I forced my way into the Hidden Land and sabotaged Temporal Tower. I could've ruled over Primal Dialga and that future world of darkness. I normally could've sat back and watched Grovyle and Kyumu as they scurried around that world looking for Time Gears throughout their pathetic lives. But nooooo…I didn't think they'd actually find a way to travel back in time! So I attacked them in the time tunnel. It should have been enough. Especially for Grovyle. But…you protected him, Kyumu.

Kyumu: I…protected him!? (How come I don't remember it…?)

Darkrai: My attack was for Grovyle, not you. That's how you lost your memory. But it also seems your will to protect him got entangled with the many dimensions during your time travel. That's how you turned into a Riolu. I thought that was sufficient. But…you met with Vulpix and stopped my plans.

Cresselia: So that's why you tried to break their will! You brought us here to get rid of us all at once, right?

Darkrai: …Correct. But that would be such a waste. Kyumu…Ninetales…Why not join me?

_Ninetales joins him! Kyumu realizes something isn't right, and remembers what Cresselia tells him: This is all a nightmare! He lashes right out at Darkrai!__The scene suddenly shifts back to reality; Ninetales hasn't moved at all. He knocks Kyumu back._

Kyumu: (I was right! That was too close!)

Darkrai: Curses! And so close, too…Is that your final answer, Kyumu!?

Kyumu: Of course! Ninetales would never say something that stupid! We hate darkness, and she knows it!

Darkrai: Humph…Fine then. Wrong answer.

_After a flash of darkness, they're completely surrounded by random Pokémon from the dungeon!_

Darkrai: I will seize control of my dark world as its king—The Master of All Things Evil! And no one will stop me! No one! **No one! NO ONE!!**

_They fight. Kyumu and Ninetales are smart enough to throw all the seeds they have at Darkrai and the enemies to make it easier. Despite that, though, right when they think they've beaten Darkrai, his eyes flash, and a hole opens up behind him! He flies away so fast, there's no way they'll ever catch him, because he's only one step away from going through the hole! _

Ninetales: AAAAAAH! A dimensional hole!!

Kyumu: You stinker…!

Darkrai: Muahahaha…I actually have no idea whether it leads to the future or past, but it doesn't matter. I'll simply plunge the world into darkness at that time. Well how do you like that? I snatched victory from the jaws of defeat! …Of course, for you all, it's the exact opposite!

Palkia: REALLY…?

_Suddenly, Palkia warps into the room!_

Palkia: TAKE THIS!!

Darkrai: Uh, right, see ya!!

_Darkrai manages to get into the dimensional hole by the time Palkia charges up his beam attack, but it still hits. The dimensional hole turns gray and then shatters._

Palkia: HE WILL LIVE. ALTHOUGH I SUSPECT THAT NO MATTER WHERE HE MAY BE NOW, HE WILL HAVE LOST HIS MEMORY.

Kyumu: Just like with me, huh?

Palkia: CORRECT. WE ARE DONE WITH HIM. I FORESEE NO REASON TO EVER RETURN HERE. FAREWELL.

_He warps out, just like that. They go back to cheers and applause from everyone in Treasure Town. After several more days of exploring, having fun, etc., they stop by the beach one morning…and find Manaphy! They rejoice at finding each other again, and go back to the house._

Manaphy: Wow…I remember this place. I hatched here, didn't I?

Kyumu: WHOA! How can you remember THAT!?

Manaphy: We Manaphy can remember where we hatched and go back there by instinct. At least, that's what Mr. Walrein taught me. He also said I had to decided what I want to do on my own when I get there. So, uh, I've thought really hard about this, and…May I join your team?

Ninetales: Of course! I'm still your mama, after all! C'mere, you…

_They play around for a bit, while Kyumu just watches, trying to decide how to say what he wants to say._

Manaphy: …Kyumu?

Kyumu (distracted): Huh-uh—What?

Manaphy: I…I'm really sorry I…made you mad—

_He holds out a paw to silence Manaphy so he can say what he wanted to say._

Kyumu: No, I'm the one who should be sorry…My son.

Manaphy: …PAPA!!

_Now that they've finally reconciled, Kyumu promises to teach him everything he ever learned. During this heartwarming moment, however, someone completely random drops in._

Shaymin: Weeeeeeell, I can see there's an absolute TON of gratitude around here…

Kyumu, Ninetales, and Manaphy (mimicking Grovyle): Shut up! You're ruining the moment!

Shaymin (crying sarcastically): Wha—wha—WAAAAH! No one remembers me anymore! WAAAAH—

Kyumu: Shaymin, Shaymin, calm down. We said you could join us when…when…Now, I guess. Right, guys?

Ninetales: Yeah!

Manaphy (mimicking Kyumu): Who the "frack" is this?

Shaymin: YAAAAAY! THANK YOU!!

Kyumu: Hey wait a minute. I just remembered…You two are the first members we ever had!

Ninetales: *gasp*! You're right! Manaphy and Shaymin, welcome to the family!

Shaymin: Ooo, ooo, can I be the older sister? Pleeeeaaase?

Manaphy: Hey, I'm the older brother!

Kyumu: (I thought you guys didn't even HAVE genders…)

_They sit around for several more hours, catching up on their lives and stuff. Soon enough, Shaymin makes an important announcement._

Shaymin: You said you wanted to live "happily ever after", right?

Kyumu and Ninetales: Yeah? Why?

Shaymin (mischievous look): Hmm…About that "wedding"…

_The next thing they know, they're at the peak of Sky Peak in whatever the Pokémon do for "marriage ceremonies". Everyone in Treasure Town is attending, Shaymin is playing as the "flower girl", Manaphy is playing as the "best boy", and even an overzealous Grovyle, Celebi, and Dusknoir are watching it from the future via Dialga's awesome holograms. Even though by now Kyumu is only 16, and Ninetales may very well be the equivalent of a 15-year-old, such details fall by the wayside at ceremonies like these. And when it comes time for the official vows, they say…_

Kyumu and Ninetales: …Of course I do!!!

_Whaddya know…In the end, Ninetales got her wish after all, and Kyumu finally realized what he truly needs. And they all lived happily ever after!!_

**The End!**


End file.
